Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my address to the budget today, I mentioned the $5.5 million solar ray that the town of Inuvik are currently installing. Good for the town of Inuvik, as I had said, but I wondercan the Minister responsible for the NWT power corp give an update on how that system or what has been done to integrate that system into the current grid and what effects that may have on the power grid in Inuvik. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Boot Lake. Minister responsible for NWT power corp.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it's sometimes forgotten that the Inuvik Wind Project also included with it a battery system that allows for greater integration of renewables. And to that end, while there are still some -- there were still some deficiencies over the course of the fall, it is expected that ultimately the solar array will be delivering up to1000 kilowatt hours to the grid. Again, just working out some of those kinks, but that is still expected to ultimately be the source of power that's integrated into that system. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for that. So is it anticipated, then, obviously pulling that revenue away from the power corp in Inuvik, run our own grid up there obviously, the thousand kilowatt hours that could potentially be put back in the grid, is that going to offset the loss, I guess, of the revenue stream that the town of Inuvik rec complex would normally provide? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the information that -- for this point that I've been receiving and keeping updated on is really on ensuring that the resources available to the community are there in terms of the power generation and, in particular, seeing the benefits of removing diesel. As far as a more detailed analysis of what that output or balance might be one to the other, Mr. Speaker, I'll have to go back and ask for that. But, again, at this point the good news story in my view, Mr. Speaker, is that the battery system that was connected to Inuvik wind is, in fact, providing the opportunity to bring these solar projects into that grid and ultimately remove the reliance on diesel. So, again, happy to bring this back to the House to confirm just what kinds of financial offsets there might be from that as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for NTPC. Final supplementary. Member from Inuvik Boot Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the Minister for that. And, yes, I'm aware of the battery system that's currently in place. I understand we're looking to get quite a larger one in there. And I'll have -- I'll save the -- my wind questions for another time. But there's also I'm aware of, I believe, two biomass applications in for Inuvik as well to look at possibly putting the -- a couple of municipal buildings on biomass as well. Is the -- has the Minister been informed of this and, I guess, is the department aware of that project as well and how that, again, will affect power consumption in the community as it relates to the power corporation? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, certainly there's a number of different biomass initiatives underway across the territory. Again, as how they may affect the tradeoffs between costs of diesel for heating fuel or all as well for cost of fuel or diesel in communities that rely on it, that specific analysis, again, happy to come back to the House and provide that with -- with respect, Mr. Speaker, more generally, I can say that there are power purchase agreements being signed in Inuvik with Nihtat Energy, for example, and can, again, confirm exactly the nature of the arrangements that we may be underway with respect to the biomass projects. Happy to bring that back. Ultimately, Mr. Speaker, reducing that reliance on diesel exclusively will certainly produce some more reliable and sustainable energy system for the long-term. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister responsible for NTPC. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
