Today, the Government of Yukon and the Teslin Tlingit Council signed a heat purchase agreement. This agreement will supply the Khàtìnas.àxh Community School in Teslin with heat from the Teslin Tlingit Council’s biomass facility, a renewable energy source.
Purchasing heat from the Teslin Tlingit Council’s biomass facility will benefit the community of Teslin by advancing the use of renewable energy sources, fostering future opportunities for innovation in Teslin and supporting economic reconciliation. The majority of biomass fuel costs and labour associated with this agreement will stay within the Teslin community, creating positive economic spin-offs.
Biomass is a clean, renewable energy source that reduces fossil fuel use. This further contributes to a cleaner and sustainable future for the territory.
The Teslin Tlingit Council’s biomass system has been in operation since 2017 and will be used to heat the school starting this school year.
The Government of Yukon is proud to work with Yukon First Nations and Yukon communities to support the advancement of renewable energy projects. The signing of a heat purchase agreement for biomass fuel in Teslin’s Khàtìnas.àxh Community School is a great example of how government can support community-led renewable energy initiatives.
Minister of Highways and Public Works Nils Clarke
The Teslin Tlingit Council is very pleased to announce the Teslin School Heating Agreement – an innovative agreement five years in the making between the Teslin Tlingit Council and the Yukon government allowing for the Teslin School and its students to benefit from the local renewable biomass heating source. This heat agreement will lower greenhouse gas emissions annually by replacing imported heating oil with carbon neutral biomass.
Teslin Tlingit Council Chief Eric Morris
Up to 90 per cent of the heat in Khàtìnas.àxh Community School will be produced with biomass. This represents a 106-tonne reduction in the school’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
The Teslin Tlingit Council developed a world-class 1.5 megawatt waste-wood fuelled district heating system, incorporating biomass heating technologies from Austria in 2017.
This current system has been operating successfully and is supplying over 10 local buildings including a multi-unit residential building and administration offices with renewable heat.
The use of biomass results in a reduced wildfire risk through the Fire Smart program by reducing fuel loads and creating necessary firebreaks around the Teslin community.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Kalah Klassen
Communications, Highways and Public Works
867-332-3595
kalah.klassen@yukon.ca
Scott Ward
Director of Capital & Infrastructure, Teslin Tlingit Council
867-336-2060