Ottawa has earmarked a total of $3.1 million in funding for the Kluane First Nation to install and operate wind turbines that will help reduce their community’s reliance on diesel.
“Kluane First Nation has been working on Renewable Resources since the 80’s on micro hydro, geothermal, wind and biomass heating, and to see KFN’s wind energy project come to fruition has been a huge accomplishment for all parties involved on this project,” says Chief Bob Dickson, Kluane First Nation.
The community will integrate three 100-kilowatt turbines in Destruction Bay, Yukon, providing a renewable energy source for their local power grid that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create local jobs.
“Moving away from diesel means less pollution, cleaner air, lower energy costs and local job opportunities,” says Larry Bagnell Member of Parliament for Yukon. “We are proud to partner with Indigenous communities as they develop innovative clean energy projects to make their communities more resilient and provide benefits for generations to come.”
Natural Resources Canada’s $2-million investment came from the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program, part of the Government of Canada’s more than $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.
Crown-Indigenous Relations’ and Northern Affairs Canada contributed a $1.1-million investment from the Northern REACHE Program.
Both programs support a more sustainable and clean energy future by investing in projects that reduce reliance on fossil fuels in Canada’s rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
