Budget's $1.6B northern energy plan includes Mayo hydro and Atlin expansion work

The Nov. 5 federal budget proposes $1.6 billion over 10 years to improve northern energy reliability: $713 million to help communities move from diesel to renewables and $929 million to upgrade or replace electrical infrastructure. It names work on Yukon's Mayo hydro facility and the Atlin hydro expansion in northern B.C., meant to add capacity to Yukon's strained grid, but does not say how much each will receive. Yukon Energy says Mayo needs a $180-million component replacement. Yukon Premier Currie Dixon said seeing the projects specifically named was encouraging. The spending still requires parliamentary approval, and some projects lack timelines.