We're fortunate that the majority of our electricity comes from hydroelectricity, a renewable energy source. We are increasing the Yukon’s renewable energy supply by investing in:
- wind;
- wood;
- solar; and
- geothermal.
Ensuring reliable, affordable and renewable energy
What we're committed to:
- 93% of electricity on the Yukon’s main electricity grid will come from renewable sources, with an aspirational target of 97% by 2030;
- 30% less diesel for electricity generation in the communities that are not connected to the main electricity grid, with 2010 as a baseline; and
- 50% of our heating needs will come from renewable sources.
What we're doing to increase renewable energy
Renewable electricity on the Yukon’s main grid
The amount of renewable electricity on the Yukon’s main grid changes each year. This is due to the:
- changes in the amount of water we use to generate hydro electricity; and
- rapid growth in electrification with unequal growth in electricity supply.
We use a 25-year rolling average to track progress on our renewable energy targets. This is affected by the year-to-year variations. In 2022, 91.9% of electricity on the Yukon’s main grid was generated from renewable resources. The 25-year rolling average is 95.7%.
Reducing diesel use in communities
Four communities are not connected to the Yukon’s main electricity grid. Micro-grids serve Beaver Creek, Burwash Landing/Destruction Bay, Watson Lake and Old Crow. They're primarily powered by diesel generators operated by ATCO Electric Yukon.
We're working to reduce diesel use in communities not connected to the main electricity grid. Our target is to reduce the amount of diesel we use for electricity generation by 30% by 2030, compared to 2010.
Increasing renewable heating sources
Much of our heating for homes and buildings uses fossil fuels. By 2030, we aim to meet 50% of our heating needs with renewable energy sources such as:
- biomass;
- heat pumps; and
- electric heating.