Yellowknife PCP Community Energy Plan Renewal

A member of the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program for over 15 years, the City of Yellowknife has achieved the five Milestones of the PCP framework and has met the GHG reduction targets identified in its 2006 Community Energy Plan (GMF5189). Yellowknife will now revisit Milestones 1 and 3 for both corporate and community GHG emissions through its PCP Community Energy Plan Renewal project. The city will completely re-evaluate its current plan, establishing new, more ambitious targets and an innovative action plan. The new goals will address three focus areas: environmental footprint and sustainability; energy costs; and energy security. To address the city’s environmental footprint and increase sustainability, the new plan will aim to make municipal operations carbon-neutral by 2025. Yellowknife will examine alternatives to eliminate and decrease the GHG emissions through composting, landfill gas recovery, replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources and examining innovative funding programs to incentivize energy efficient building retrofits. The plan will set a community target for GHG emissions reduction based on the latest trends in energy use, including private-sector involvement in renewable energy projects. To reduce and stabilize energy costs, the plan will target increased renewable energy production and energy efficiency, with the goal of maintaining energy costs at current levels for the next ten years, after inflation and population growth. To improve energy security, the plan will identify ways to make municipal energy sources 100 per cent renewable. The city will seek private partnerships to maintain or increase the market share of renewable energy in the community. The new plan will reflect Yellowknife’s Smart Growth Plan principles, which promote clean energy use, affordable housing and efficient transportation. While the plan will set targets for the next ten years, the city will use longer term planning principles, as community infrastructure often lasts for more than 30 years. The planning process will take into account the environmental, social and economic impacts of various implementation options. The city will engage the public in the plan development through surveys, public information materials, feedback sessions, interviews and a public energy forum. Yellowknife’s Community Energy Planning Committee will be instrumental in the planning process and subsequent implementation. The City of Yellowknife is one of the first municipalities to have achieved the five milestones of the PCP program. Their commitment to undergo the milestones once again, building on their achievements, will position Yellowknife as a national leader in energy innovation. There is a high potential for sharing lessons learned with many of the northern communities, particularly those with capacity and a tax base to fund innovation and private investment. (Project description from original funding application)