Electricity consumption by Yukoners was skyrocketing

Yukon Energy hit a record this week for power generation as the territory struggled with freezing temperatures.

President Andrew Hall said this morning’s output peaked at 111 megawatts, breaking the previous record of 104 MW.

Hydroelectric generation contributed between 65 and 67 MW of production, with the remaining 50 MW and more being generated by LNG and diesel.

The previous record was set on December 16 and January 2020 before that.

“It’s not always taken for granted when it’s so cold that we’re going to peak because it depends on what the mines are doing,” Hall said.

“But certainly, earlier this week we hit some records.”

Although operating mines are contributing to the load, Hall said, demand from the residential and commercial sectors is behind the record.

Long-term population growth is a factor, as is the preference for electric heating in new construction, he explained.

Hall said it was a multi-family housing development downtown or new single-family housing in the Whistle Bend subdivision, the new buildings are all electrically heated.