ARCHIVED – Canada’s Renewable Power Landscape 2016 – Energy Market Analysis

Nunavut

Virtually all Nunavut’s electricity is generated from diesel. A 3 kW PV system is currently installed and other small PV system additions are planned, but this represents a small portion of total capacity.

Plans to replace some diesel generation with LNG and, to a limited extent, biomass, are in the initial stages. A transmission power line from Manitoba has also been proposed. The line would transport electricity generated from Manitoba Hydro plants to the Kivalliq region in southern Nunavut.

The Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC), owned by the Nunavut government, is responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Nunavut. QEC operates 26 diesel plants in 25 communities which are not connected by roads or power lines.

In 2007, Nunavut released its Ikummatiit Energy Strategy, with the goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels through energy conservation and increased use of renewables.

Nunavut also considered an Independent Power Purchase Policy to allow private individuals to generate renewable energy and sell it back to the QEC.

Although Nunavut currently has no wind generation, it has piloted three wind projects since 1994. Developing and maintaining the required infrastructure is difficult due to the QEC’s inability to recover the costs from Nunavut’s small communities. Similarly, plans for an Iqaluit hydroelectric facility were delayed in 2013.