1.4.6

Description: 
We will support Net Metering through clear policy direction to the Public Utilities Board (PUB), to provide certainty to allow customers to recover their investments in renewable energy.
Lead Dept: 
EIA
Priority: 
1.4
Status: 
Fulfilled
Restructured COC: 
Energy and Climate Change
Number: 
6
Deputy Minister Committee: 
Energy and Climate Change
Background Information: 

Economy, Environment and Climate Change

Commitment 1.4.6 – We will support Net Metering through clear policy direction to the Public Utilities Board (PUB), to provide certainty to allow customers to recover their investments in renewable energy.

Power Rates

In recent years, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has made a substantial commitment to stabilizing power rates and lowering the cost of living, including by providing subsidies to the electricity system totaling approximately $55 million. These subsidies smoothed the impacts of the most recent Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) General Rate Application, and offset costs associated with low water conditions in the Snare hydro system.

Net Metering

Net Metering is a program that allows residential and commercial electricity customers to install intermittent renewable generating sources up to 15 kW to offset their personal consumption and to sell any excess electricity back to the utility’s grid.  Any excess energy sold back to the grid is purchased at the full retail rate. Excess energy purchased by the utility is tracked on the customer’s account as a credit, which can be used to offset subsequent electricity bills.

The GNWT is committed to supporting the Net Metering program and has issued clear policy direction to the Public Utilities Board (PUB).

The GNWT is currently considering the role of net metering within the broader NWT Energy Strategy, and will seek public input through review of the draft NWT Energy Strategy.

Related Mandate Commitments

  • Commitment 3.3.1 – We will expand and improve access to incentives for residents to invest in energy-efficient products, help businesses, condominiums, and cooperatives invest in energy conservation and efficiency, and support residents and communities so that they can make investments into renewable energies, such as solar.
  • Commitment 3.3.2 – We will create a new three-year energy action plan, building on previous investments made over the past three years and the outcomes of the energy plan review.
  • Commitment 3.3.3 - We will assist community governments to improve energy efficiency and conservation, to reduce the impact of climate change by supporting development of community governments’ capital, energy and asset plans, to ensure training includes challenges related to climate change, and enable community governments to use local improvement charges for the purpose of assisting residents and/or businesses in implementing energy efficiency retrofits and/or renewable energy technologies.
  • Commitment 3.4.2 - We will implement a new NWT Energy Strategy that will include renewable and alternative energy solutions and actions that the GNWT and our partners will undertake to meet targets for greenhouse gas reductions in heating and power generation as well as a 10-year strategy for investing federal and other funding towards energy projects.
  • Commitment 3.4.3 - We will continue to develop and advance initiatives to displace diesel generation in the NWT, including:
    • Hydroelectric power and transmission lines, including the Taltson expansion.
    • Wind energy projects, including the Inuvik High Point Wind Project, and assessing the feasibility of wind energy projects in other communities or regions.
    • Solar energy projects.
    • Biomass energy projects.

For more information about this initiative, please contact the Department of Infrastructure.