Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp. Perhaps we can start with an update with respect to the overall Taltson project. And when I refer to update, maybe some timelines including costing. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister from NTPC. Sorry, I had a note that I get sidetracked.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'm always very happy to talk about the Taltson project that we have underway right now. This is a project that is a partnership amongst the GNWT as one member of the MOU, but our other members are the communities and nations that are around the watershed region, so Akaitcho First Nation, Salt River First Nation, and Northwest Territories Metis Nation. We sit regularly. We had a steering committee meeting just before session commenced, and it was an opportunity for us to reaffirm commitment to the project, met with the Canada Infrastructure Bank, in fact, at that time, and we had an opportunity to discuss the next step which would be actually creating sort of project company or a project co and to determine then what kind of financial arrangement we might be able to find ourselves in in order to take this on to its next steps.
Mr. Speaker, I don't know that there's been a public release of any preliminary budgetary information at this point. I'm not going to take that step here on the floor. Certainly would be happy to come back to committee and provide an in-camera briefing but also can certainly assure the House that we are working towards getting, as I said, a project company into its -- into existence, and that will be a major next step for us. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, is the Minister able to provide any detail to the first question asked, which was can she provide some specifics around the costing and timing. And I'll be very clear, Mr. Speaker - referring to what is the anticipated project cost and when would we expect something to actually prove to fruition in the sense of come online. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said in response to the first series of questions, this is not a project where there is, to my recollection, a firm budget that's been provided publicly, and this is not the place to be doing that. But, Mr. Speaker, with respect to timelines, the second question -- of the second question, Mr. Speaker, we are still working towards having the system online for 2033. Quite a lot of things do have to fall into place. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, there are legacy issues surrounding the original Taltson Dam that date back to the 1960s and '70s, and that is a first priority for myself and for the other nation members of the MOU. But beyond that, the next step that we are in, Mr. Speaker, is to get this project in for an EA. We are hopeful to have that work done over this fall. Individual members of the MOU are each taking on parts. For example, YKDFN are looking at where the line might line here on the north side of the lake while the nations from the south side are looking at where it might begin. So that work is well underway, and we're looking forward to, with that, being able to go into an EA, again, as soon as possible so that we can move forward to regulatory proceedings thereafter. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for NWT Power Corp. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, it's difficult to sort of give a quantum as to what it's worth versus what it's timed versus how much Ottawa is giving. Like, we don't know, and that's kind of the question that's being asked. Because I don't even know if we should be pursuing the Taltson project given the fact that, remember, it doesn't go far back that the Mackenzie Valley pipeline dream died because it was studied to death and by the time -- so, Mr. Speaker, my question, really, is focused in on is this the right opportunity? Because I've heard the Taltson project when I came in the House in 2003.
So to shorten up to a sure question, Mr. Speaker, could the government consider, or has the government ever considered, maybe bringing power north from Alberta because they have a much straight -- simpler and straightforward regulatory regime that's interested in being in business and getting things done. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, again, I would be very happy to appear in front of committee. In fact, perhaps a public briefing would be most appropriate to be able to give much more lengthy answers to all of these questions. This is an opportunity with this project to connect 70 percent of the population of the Northwest Territories to hydro. It's an opportunity to take advantage of energy that is spilling over at the current facility in Taltson Dam. It's an opportunity to link our grids, which are currently disconnected grids which is a huge problem for our energy costs and for sustainability and reliability of our system. And, Mr. Speaker, yes, we certainly have looked at running power lines south, both in towards Saskatchewan, down towards Alberta.
Transmission lines do not come cheap. There are several hundreds of thousands of dollars per kilometer. And so, Mr. Speaker, with that, this opportunity to advance the project with partners from this watershed and one that has a sustainable and reliable source of power, yes, Mr. Speaker, in my view it certainly is an important project. We're farther than we ever have been, and I think we're in a good place to move it forward and see some significant progress in the life of this government. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for NT Power Corp. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
