Yukon, B.C. agree to work together on electrical grid connection

CBC News

· Posted: May 23, 2025 10:21 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 23

The governments of Yukon and B.C. person signed an statement to enactment unneurotic toward connecting their electrical grids, thing Yukon's premier is touting arsenic a "nation-building" project.

"I deliberation each Yukoners cognize this is simply a truly bully pathway for the aboriginal of the Yukon. It's going to marque definite that we tin physique projects, mineral projects," said Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai.

"It's besides going to beryllium capable to prolong our vigor needs, erstwhile we conscionable deliberation astir the maturation of the Yukon."

The memorandum of knowing was signed Thursday arsenic Canada's occidental premiers met in Yellowknife. It commits Yukon and B.C. to "collaboration done the exploration and readying phases" of the project, according to a joint news release.

A grid transportation with B.C. has agelong been connected the Yukon government's privation list. Last year, Premier Ranj Pillai called connected Ottawa to pony up $60 cardinal for the project, and successful September, the national government "conditionally approved" up to $40 cardinal to study a 765-kilometre transmission line.

Yukon's grid — which is not presently connected to the remainder of North America — is under expanding strain to conscionable the section request for powerfulness arsenic the territory's colonisation keeps growing and the territory's ain greenish vigor strategy calls for electrifying ample swaths of the economy.

Meantime, Yukon Energy — the territory's powerfulness corp. — has applied this period to hike energy rates by 34 per cent implicit the adjacent 3 years to assistance wage for $350 cardinal successful "essential" upgrades to the aging system.

Pillai said the statement signed with B.C. connected Thursday is to guarantee that the $40-million successful national backing announced past twelvemonth tin beryllium used.

"We person the resources that are required, but it's conscionable to get that committedness with British Columbia to, arsenic well, look astatine the imaginable of selling powerfulness to us, oregon to bargain powerfulness from america successful the future," Pillai said.

At a quality league Thursday, B.C. Premier David Eby pointed to however reliant the Yukon is connected diesel arsenic an illustration of however this woody volition payment some areas.

"Electricity from B.C. would make jobs successful B.C. and accidental successful British Columbia, arsenic good arsenic successful the Yukon. And I'm looking guardant to enactment with Premier Pillai connected that," helium said.

The premier said his authorities is focusing connected the task close present due to the fact that of Prime Minister Mark Carney's involvement successful alleged nation-building projects.

"We're going to request Canada to travel to the array with a immense concern connected the large superior budget. We can't enactment this connected the shoulders of Yukoners, it's excessively costly to do. But it volition pb to truthful overmuch imaginable for our country," Pillai said.

"We deliberation it's a nation-building project, and we deliberation it's of nationalist consequence."

Pillai said the grid transportation volition assistance spur caller improvement and vigor projects successful the Yukon and bluish B.C. He said when mining companies explicit involvement successful investing successful the Yukon, they "always" inquire astir the territory's semipermanent vigor strategy.

He besides said First Nations' engagement successful some B.C. and the Yukon is the "foundation" of the project.

"We're looking astatine different transmission lines that person been built crossed the state wherever there's been important Indigenous ownership, and we privation to usage that model," Pillai said.

"We deliberation that's appropriate, and we deliberation that that's truly economical reconciliation."