Yellowknife's 25kV Conversion Project Continues

April 20, 2011 - Northland Utilities will once again be working diligently this summer on the seventh phase of its 25kV conversion project focusing efforts in the Kam Lake area, Dusseault Crt, a portion of Bigelow Cres and a portion of the Borealis Co-op.  (Please see the map below.)

In order to accommodate the work in this area, 2 scheduled power outages for each customer may be required.  The first outage will be to complete work in preparation for the higher voltage. The second outage will be to complete the voltage change from 5kV to 25kV.  In many cases, the outages will only be for a few minutes, however outages up to 8 hours in duration may occur between June 1st and October 1st.  Northland Utilities will be contacting individual businesses and customers to schedule the specific time and date of the outage affecting them.

Since the power lines are located along the roads and behind lots, the majority of the work will be focused in these areas.  In some cases, roads may be temporarily closed to ensure the safety of the public and work crews.  Those affected will be contacted in advance to minimize any disruption.

The eight year, $23.0 million project has included the construction of three new 25kV substations and removal of seven old 5kV substations as well as a significant retrofit to the existing electrical system.  120km of power line within the city will be re-insulated and all transformers serving customers will be changed to accommodate the higher voltage.  The conversion will provide a higher level of safety, reliability, & power quality, reduce line losses inherent in the 5kV system, and will meet the current forecast growth of Yellowknife.

Northland Utilities wishes to thank all of our customers for your cooperation and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused.

For more information contact Lisa Empson, Project Lead, at 766-3829.