Making the Plan

The City's Community Energy Plan (CEP) is ten years in the making, starting in 1997 when the City joined the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program with 140 other Canadian communities committed to reducing their greenhouse gas. In 2004, an energy baseline study was conducted to determine how much energy we use as a community and how we use it. The results of the study provided a compelling need to develop a Community Energy Plan to address the environmental and economic impacts of Yellowknife's unsustainable energy needs. In 2005, the Community Energy Planning Committee was created and was made up of various community stakeholders. The committee developed twelve recommendations that is now the Community Energy Plan.

The Plan
Energy Baseline Study 2004
Energy Baseline Poster
Interim Community Energy Plan
Studies used in the formation of the Community Energy Plan (Note: the following studies were used to formulate the recommendations in the Community Energy Plan, however, not all recommendations were used in the final plan).

Fleet Management Study - The goals of this report were to a) examine current fuel consumption for the City's fleet based on available data; b) examine options to reduce fleet fuel consumption; and c) quantify reduction in fuel consumtipn, GHG emissions, as well as financial impact of implementing the said options.
Revolving Green Fund - Internal - The City of Yellowknife's interim Community Energy Plan (CEP) recommended establishing a revolving internal green fund that would finance energy and climate projects within municipal operations and be replenished through the resulting reductions in energy expenditures. This research is intended to support that recommendation by examining green financing mechanisms and showing how a specific mechanism could best be applied within Yellowknife.
Facilities Review - The Arctic Energy Alliance was commissioned by the City of Yellowknife in September 2005 to review the recommendations arising from previous energy audits of City facilities in 1999 & 2000 with the appropriate facility managers and prepare a list of energy managment opportunites that could be implemented in each facility. This review was also to identify any energy reduction measures that have already been implemented and any additional potnetial measures that were not included in the 1999 and 2000 reports.
Transportation Review - The purpose of the Transportation Review was to identify actions that the City can undertake to reduce greenhouse gas produced from the transportation sector within the community at large. There are two aspects of the study; the first deals with transit and the second area addresses other aspects of the transportation methods used by the public, such as cars, trucks, walking, snowmobiles, etc.
Communications Plan - To encourage and support the reduction of GHG emissions within the City of Yellowknife an ongoing, focused and targeted communication program is proposed. The overall communication goal will be to inform Yellowknife residents of changes that the City of Yellowknife will make and to implement communication programs that encourage ongoing reductions in yellowknife GHG emissions.
Financing Green Energy Projects - External - The City of Yellowknife's interim Community energy Plan (CEP) recommended investigating a revolving external green fund that would finance energy and climate projects within municipal operations and be replensihed through the resulting reductions in energy expendiures. This research is intended to support that recommendation by examining external green financing mechanisms and clarifying the questions that need to be answered for Yellowknife to proceed with one.
Sustainable Planning Principals - The way that cities are planned and built has a dramatic impact on the use of energy and emission of greenhouse gases. Recognizing this, Action Area 6 of the city of Yellowknife Community Energy Plan concentrates on the development of a set of sustainability planning principles with respect to energy use and greenhouse gas emission reductions. these principles are to be applied to all planning activities in the city and to guide the development of environmentally sustainable communities.
Energy Standards for New Homes and Buildings - This report presents the results of an analysis to calculate the lifecycle cost impacts of upgrades to the energy performance of new residential and commercial buildings in Yellowknife.
Local Renewable Energy Options - RETScreen Analysis - The purpose of this study, as part of the Community energy Plan (CEP) process, was to examine the state of knowledge and gaps, as well as to perform technical and economic prefeasibility studies regarding the use of specified renewable energy technologies in Yellowknife. the aim of the CEP effort is to reduce the use of non-renewable fossil fuels which generate pollution and greenhouse gases.