Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister for NTPC.
Can the Minister explain whether there's currently a plan in place to supply power to Fort Providence and Kakisa from the Taltson Hydro Project. Thank you?
Thank you, Member from the Deh Cho. Minister responsible for NTPC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is actually a GNWT project, and so in that sense there is a plan. There certainly is a strong desire to see an opportunity to run a transmission line from just outside of Hay River through -- past Kakisa and up into Fort Providence that would -- that represents -- that extra bit would represent about 15 percent of our total emissions and obviously a significant reduction on reliance of diesel which is very volatile prices to the residents in those regions. So there is this plan in the way. It already has regulatory approval to get to constructions. We have an application in with the federal government for funding.
Mr. Speaker, one thing is we are still having some positive conversations with our friends at Naka Power. They are the distributing agent in Fort Providence and also in Kakisa, and so it's important that we discuss with them how we are going to find a way to put all this together knowing that we don't, as GNWT or NTPC, own all of that infrastructure. So that is a conversation we've had not too long ago, and I will be following up with them so we can move the project along. Thank you.
I think now you're saying you're the Minister responsible for Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. So Member from the Deh Cho.
Thank you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Will any of the work for projects in the region lead to the creation of new jobs within NTPC? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can say we're right now bringing what was sort of 60 percent design project up to a higher level of certainty and with that would come more of the analysis on whether or not there are any further opportunities. There is already, obviously, the distribution network within these communities which is, as I said, one that has rep -- that has Naka Power there, and I don't know whether they have any staff based in the communities or not, and I don't expect this would change that. When there are lines running, that certainly has the possibility that there may be some linesmen required to be available. Whether or not there would be a sufficient demand for these extra lines to create positions, again I can't say at this point. We would do that part of the analysis when the project comes forward with some finality.
I would say, Mr. Speaker, that having more reliable, more sustainable, and hopefully more affordable energy, does benefit the community and can certainly, if that brings costs down, hopefully spur some business activity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.
Thank you. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. She probably answered a little bit of this, but I need it to be on the -- say it again. Can the Minister say whether this work is dependent on applications for federal funding or more part of our government's budget initiatives? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are waiting to hear back from the federal government. We do have an application in for the whole funding. The importance of having 100 percent public dollars on this is that it means that it doesn't go on the ratepayers. It doesn't add to people's costs of power which, of course, are as I said earlier today, the highest in Canada. So it's very important, as the Minister responsible, that we are not putting this on the backs of ratepayers. Even though we want to ensure they have sustainable and reliable energy, we don't want people to be paying for costs they just can't -- they just can't be paying these extra costs, even in the face of needing the infrastructure. So it is very important that we get 100 percent dollars. And that application, as I said, is in.
The other issue, again, is that we find a path forward with our friends at Naka so that we are working together with them and ensuring a collaborative path forward for an asset, again, that is their distribution franchise but our transmission opportunity or our generation asset, and I'm confident we will find that path forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Strategic Infrastructure, Energy, and Supply Chains. Oral questions. Member from the Sahtu.
