Vice
What would you do with an extra $30 million dollars? That’s the question currently facing the Government of Nunavut.
The recent drop in oil price means that the Arctic territory is set to save up to $32 million in fuel costs. This offers a unique chance to invest in green energy argues George Hickes, Iqaluit-Tasiluk representative in Nunavut’s Legislative Assembly.
“Very few people have actually brought up the topic of renewable energy, so I want to highlight the fact we have an opportunity now, with some of the potential savings and fuel resupply, to invest in alternative energy pilot programmes,” Hickes explains.
“It gives us an opportunity to show ourselves, and the federal government, and the rest of the world, that we’re serious about alternative energy solutions as well.”
And so should they be. The territory is 100 percent reliant on diesel fuel for all of its electricity, importing roughly 45 million litres each year. With no grid infrastructure, each community is served by its own diesel-fired power plant, the majority of which are at, or near, the end of their lifecycle.
Kyla Mandel 