b'NORTHERN ENERGY SOLUTIONSThe transition to greener sources ofopportunities to create a robust networkfuels for electricity. As of 2020, Inuvik energy in the North must not be recklessof energy sources.produced 19,147 tonnes of greenhouse and needs to consider the most ideal andgases through utility power generation; practical solution for each community,The unique environment provides oppor- that figure will shrink dramatically once be it hydro, natural gas or other energytunities found nowhere else in thetheir energy supply is supplemented sources. Where possible wed like tocountry. The nice thing with the solarwith cleaner sources.go from something like diesel to hydro,plant and the wind turbine project [is which is ideal in some cases, or diesel tothat] theyre almost perfectly invertedCOST CONSIDERATIONSnatural gas, which produces less green- from each other. Sunny, not windy. Windy,Its important to remember that a catch-house gases, better emissions, explainsnot sunny. Theyre complementary proj- all policy approach wont work when it Bruno Pereira, director of NT Energy. ects to each other, says Sullivan.comes to expanding green energy to communities in the North. Each commu-Communities in the Northwest TerritoriesInuvik currently generates two to threenity has its own unique needs and chal-face drastically different realities eachlenges. Some are too windy for turbines, season24 hours of daylight in themegawatts of capacity with four dieselwhile others are not windy enough. summer and 24 hours of darkness ingenerators and two natural gas gener-the winter. For most, this would presentators. Once completed, the one-mega- All, however, need to ensure that the a roadblock to green energy and awatt solar farm and the three-megawattalready high cost of energy does not significant barrier to overcome. Forwind turbine will produce as much elec- increase. The average cost of electricity Grant Sullivan and the NTPC, however,tricity as all the current fossil fuel genera- for end-users in 2021 in the Northwest conditions such as these representtors, drastically reducing reliance on fossilTerritories was 38.2 cents/kWh, more The harsh climate of the North requires creative solutions to supply green energy to Indigenous communities. Pictured here: solar panels being installed in Inuvik 18A CCAB PUBLICATION2022'