Electricity heats more than 4,000 Yukon homes: data

The number of Yukon homes using electric heat last year was 4,038, according to figures released earlier this year by the Territorial Bureau of Statistics.

By Whitehorse Star on November 4, 2022

The number of Yukon homes using electric heat last year was 4,038, according to figures released earlier this year by the Territorial Bureau of Statistics.

The 2021 number represented an increase of 7.9% or 261 customers from 2020, the bureau’s report said.

It says the energy sector contributed $66.1 million to Yukon’s real domestic product last year, an increase of $2.4 million or 3.8% from 2020. .

The number of solar electric systems operating in the territory has increased significantly over the past nine years, from one in 2013 to 517 in 2021.

The increase in solar electric systems has also resulted in a substantial growth in the amount of generation exported to the grid after personal use.

In 2014, for example, production exported to the grid was six megawatt hours compared to 2,251 MWh last year.

Of the 35 Yukon farms that reported using renewable energy generation systems in 2021, the report notes, 33 used solar panels and two used wind turbines.

The average monthly percentage of total electricity generation from fossil fuels – diesel and natural gas – during the months of November, December, January and February has increased from 9.8% in 2017 to 22.2% in 2021 .

Of Yukon’s total generating capacity of 153.1 MW last year, hydroelectric plants had a capacity of 93.5 MW or 61.1%.

Diesel plants had an installed capacity of 46.4 MW or 30.3% of the total, followed by an installed LNG capacity of 13.2 MW or 8.6%.

Of the total installed generating capacity last year, Yukon Energy had an installed capacity of 132.3 MW or 86.4% of the total, while ATCO Electric Yukon had a generating capacity of 20.8 MW or 13, 6% of total.

The report notes that in 2020, fossil fuel generation accounted for 17.2% of the total, the sixth lowest in the country.

Between 2011 and 2020, the percentage of production by fossil fuels fluctuated, going from a low of 5.2% in 2013 and 2014 to a high of 19.6% in 2019.

The percentage of total electricity generated from LNG increased from 0.3% in 2016 to 9% in 2020, while the percentage generated from diesel increased from 5.3% in 2016 to 8.2% in 2020.

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