The Northwest Territories is an incredibly vast area and operates on a remote electrical system. Three main sources of energy used to generate electricity in the NWT are diesel fuel, hydro resources and natural gas.

Eight communities in the Great Slave Lake area use hydroelectric generation, while natural gas-fired power plants provide electricity to the community of Norman Wells. The remaining communities rely on diesel-generated electricity, leaving them susceptible to fluctuations in fuel prices, as well as making them high greenhouse gas emitters on a per capita basis.

Because of long-distance supply routes and fuel storage costs, the lack of year-round road access in many remote communities also contributes to high energy costs.

Read more about Electrical Generation in the NWT.