Transcript:
Over the past decade, midnight sun has been helping remote communities in Lake Colville in Canada’s Arctic reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
Codzi: “By fuel, it's coming – these things are not sure. We can be sure that the sun will shine and the wind will blow.”
For years, all power in Lake Colville came from generators that burn diesel fuel, said David Codzi, a resident.
But bringing diesel to isolated communities is difficult.
In summer, you can only visit by plane. In winter, fuel, food and supplies arrive on trucks hundreds of miles on the ice, which pile up hundreds of miles on the ice.
Therefore, the fuel is expensive. In extreme weather, delivery or other interference to the supply chain can be unreliable.
Therefore, for more affordable and reliable energy, the community installed hybrid power plants with solar panels, batteries and diesel generators.
This solar power supplies about 15% of the electricity required by the community every year. But in summer, when the sun is abundant, it generates a larger share.
Cotz: “Power plant, you don't hear it in the summer because it's in the sun.”
Therefore, for isolated areas like Lake Colville, renewable energy could be a step towards self-reliance.
Report Credit: Sarah Kennedy/Chavobart Digital Media
