Energy for the future

At the same time, the importance of the natural environment, especially the need to respond to climate change issues, should be reflected in the approach to energy development and management decisions. [...] The vision, goals, and principles of the Energy Strategy are aimed at responsibly developing NWT energy resources for the maximum benefit of northerners, improving the affordability of energy services in NWT communities, and protecting the environment. [...] June 2006 BACKGROUND The increasing focus on energy issues in the NWT, and at the national and international level is due to a number of factors, including: Reliance on oil imports and concerns with security of supply; Diminishing conventional natural gas production in the U. S. lower 48 states and the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin; The impacts of fossil fuels on the environment; The recognitio [...] The policy contains a number of principles aimed at maintaining environmental quality and broadly describes the GNWT approach to development including: The need for conservation commitments; The GNWT Sustainable Development Policy broadly The recognition of special values related to the environment; outlines the GNWT approach The need to take a cooperative approach with neighbouring to development [...] As well, the development of the proposed Mackenzie Gas Project and the use of gas-fired turbines to provide compression will likely double or triple the amount of greenhouse gasses produced in the NWT.1 This presents yet another unique set of circumstances in the NWT The North is unique in that – developing NWT energy resources appears, on the surface, to be we are experiencing a rapid hastening t