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Yukon Power Grid Nears Rolling Blackouts as Deep Freeze Sets Demand Record

Emergency officials are urging residents to prepare 72-hour kits for potential outages.

Overview

  • A prolonged Siberia-linked cold snap holding near minus 40 C is keeping electricity demand elevated across the territory.
  • Peak demand hit a record 123 megawatts on Monday against roughly 140 megawatts of ideal system capacity, leaving a narrow operating margin.
  • The energy minister says the territory is close to rotating outages by neighbourhood, though none have been ordered and conservation is urged.
  • Power in Haines Junction was restored after a generating-station exhaust leak caused a multi-hour outage that further strained the grid.
  • Emergency services report more collisions and fire calls, advise safe generator use and limited travel, and say fuel deliveries continue despite some pumps failing in the cold.