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Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC; iu, ᖁᓪᓕᖅ ᐆᒻᒪᖅᑯᑎᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑖ;
Inuinnaqtun Inuinnaqtun (; natively meaning ''like the real human beings/peoples''), is an indigenous Inuit language. It is spoken in the central Canadian Arctic. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe th ...
: ''Qulliq Alruyaktuqtunik Ikumadjutiit''; french: Société d’énergie Qulliq) is a Canadian territorial corporation which is the sole electricity utility and
distributor A distributor is an enclosed rotating switch used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have mechanically timed ignition. The distributor's main function is to route high voltage current from the ignition coil to the spark plugs ...
in
Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
. It is wholly owned by the
Government of Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the '' Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act'', w ...
. Its name is derived from the
qulliq The qulliq (seal-oil, blubber or soapstone lamp, iu, ᖁᓪᓕᖅ, ''kudlik'' ; ik, naniq), is the traditional oil lamp used by Arctic peoples, including the Inuit, the Chukchi people, Chukchi and the Yupik peoples. This characteristic ty ...
, a traditional
oil lamp An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. Th ...
used by
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
and other Arctic indigenous peoples. It is headquartered in
Baker Lake, Nunavut Baker Lake (Inuktitut syllabics: ᖃᒪᓂᑦᑐᐊᖅ 'big lake joined by a river at both ends', Inuktitut: ''Qamani'tuaq'' 'where the river widens') is a hamlet in the Kivalliq Region, in Nunavut on mainland Canada. Located inland from Hudson ...
.


History

Qulliq Energy was established by the Nunavut Power Utilities Act (now the Qulliq Energy Corporation Act) in 2001, two years after the 1999 creation of Canada's territory of Nunavut, to take over the assets of the
Northwest Territories Power Corporation The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) is an electric utility in the Northwest Territories of Canada. NTPC was formed in 1988 to acquire and operate the former assets of the Northern Canada Power Commission in the Northwest Territories ...
(which was itself a successor to the
Northern Canada Power Commission The Northern Canada Power Commission, formerly the Northwest Territories Power Commission, was a federal Crown corporation established by the Government of Canada to serve as the electric utility for northern Canada. The assets of the NCPC were t ...
). Its original name was Nunavut Power Corporation and it was renamed Qulliq Energy Corporation in 2003 and the mandate of the corporation expanded to include energy conservation and alternative generation development. Qulliq Energy established Nunavut Energy Centre in 2006 as a division focusing on energy conservation through public outreach. The centre was closed down on March 31, 2009, and its functions were transferred to the territorial government departments.


Operations

Low population, severe weather and remoteness of transportation and construction technology make long distance
high voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...
grids unviable. Every community in Nunavut relies on independent
diesel generator A diesel generator (DG) (also known as a diesel Genset) is the combination of a diesel engine with an electric generator (often an alternator) to generate electrical energy. This is a specific case of engine generator. A diesel compression- ...
s, fueled by the annual
sealift Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...
re-supply during the summer shipping season. This dependence on diesel presents its own set of environmental and economic impacts, leaving the territory vulnerable to world energy price fluctuations. The first new power generation facility since the establishment of the company was the expansion of the Iqaluit power plant. The geography of Nunavut presents unique challenges to
hydro-electric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
facilities, but the company is actively engaged in site reviews for hydro-electric developments in the 12-20 MW range around
Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
, the territorial capital. The hydro-electric plants are planned in Jaynes Inlet and Armshow South on the south shore of
Frobisher Bay Frobisher Bay is an inlet of the Davis Strait in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is located in the southeastern corner of Baffin Island. Its length is about and its width varies from about at its outlet into the Labrador Sea ...
. During the 1970s, there had been suggestions of NCPC employing "
slowpoke Slowpoke or Slow Poke may refer to: * "Slow Poke", a 1951 American country music hit song * "Slowpoke", a song by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young * ''Slowpoke'' (comic strip), weekly comic strip by Jen Sorensen * Slowpoke (Pokémon), a fictional sp ...
"
nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...
generators to produce power in the many isolated communities. Since the establishment, periodic discussions continue regarding the possibility of combining Nunavut's fuel delivery functions under Qulliq Energy.


Iqaluit Hydroelectric Project

In 2005, Quilliq Energy initiated a study of potential sites near
Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the large bay on the coast on which the city is situated. In 1987, its t ...
for the development of a
hydroelectric power station Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
. Two sites, Jaynes Inlet and Armshow South, were selected as the most cost-effective and viable solutions after comprehensive research. The Jaynes Inlet site () would be the site of a 12.5 MW hydroelectric dam that is expected to meet Iqaluit's current energy demand. The Armshow South site () would be the site of a 7.3 MW hydroelectric dam that would be developed when additional capacity is needed. However, Quilliq Energy does not have an adequate revenue surplus or borrowing ability in order to fund the project on its own, especially as 13 of the existing 25 diesel-fired power stations across the territory are in need of replacement. As a result, the hydroelectric project was shelved indefinitely in 2014.


Other Renewable Energy Projects

In numerous communities across the Canadian north, renewable energy projects using solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric power plants are being pursued. The option of extending a transmission line to Manitoba would enable hydroelectricity from
Manitoba Hydro The Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board, operating as Manitoba Hydro, is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Boa ...
to be used in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. Photovoltaic solar power is particularly attractive due to its absence of structural-mechanical complexity. Given the very long days of summer, in some communities the installation of such panels can enable diesel gensets to be turned off for multiple hours at a time. Additionally, Nunavut is also pursuing independent power production in the form of solar panels on schools, healthcare facilities, and municipal buildings.


Controversies

In 2010 and 2011, five lawsuits were filed against Qulliq Energy by former employees for wrongful/constructive dismissal, while some other former workers accused the company for the violation of
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
rights in the workplace.


See also

*
List of Canadian electric utilities This is a list of the electric utilities in Canada. List of electric utilities by size List of electric utilities by province or territory This is a list of Canadian public and private electric utilities, by province. Electric Transm ...
*
List of generating stations in Nunavut This is a list of electrical generating stations in Nunavut, Canada. Qulliq Energy, a government-owned corporation, is the only electrical power provider that serves the remote communities that demographically comprise Nunavut. Qulliq, has a to ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


Qulliq Energy Corporation
*
Ikuma I, 2001 Report
*
Ikuma 2, 2002 Report
Electric power companies of Canada Crown corporations of Nunavut Energy companies established in 2001 Kivalliq Region 2001 establishments in Nunavut