ATLIN’S HYDRO OPPORTUNITY
A step-by-step guide exploring the safer, smarter and more sustainable Atlin Hydro Opportunity
Every Element from Start to Finish
Receive regulatory approvals before construction
STEP 01
Atlin has enjoyed clean and renewable energy since 2009 because THELP was able to deliver a hydro project concept that cleared important TRTFN, Provincial and Federal environmental regulatory hurdles.
After environmental impacts were understood, mitigation efforts were planned and monitoring solutions were in place - construction on the initial Atlin Hydro Project was able to begin.
As it should be - the process for achieving regulator approval is rich in oversight, accountability and science.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity has twice received support via Clan Directives from two different TRTFN Clan Directors Councils and a Joint Clan Meeting Mandate. The Opportunity is being explored by the TRTFN Lands Department and will ultimately require approval from the TRTFN Project Review Group (PRG). Approval from TRTFN is not a foregone conclusion, it must be earned. We are working hard to enable greater stewardship of the Pine Creek and Surprise Lake ecosystems - setting a high bar.
Provincially, Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity will submit a Clean Energy Development Plan (CEDP) to the Province of British Columbia in 2022. Once submitted it will be reviewed in detail and include a robust community consultation process.
Once all Federal, Provincial and TRTFN regulatory requirements have been met, construction can begin. It is proposed that this should be accomplished by early 2023 at which time construction would begin.
UPDATE: Clean Energy Development Plan (CEDP) documents for Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity are now available.
STEP 02
Store more water in Surprise Lake
Precipitation falls on the mountains and hills in the Suprise Lake watershed, eventually finding its way to tributaries that flow into Surprise Lake itself. Eventually, that water flows down Pine Creek and into Atlin Lake as it has done for centuries.
In 2009 a weir and control structure became operational at the mouth of Pine Creek, allowing THELP to manage the flow of water out of Surprise Lake. This was achieved by following all TRTFN, Provincial and Federal environmental regulations and without damaging the Pine Creek ecosystem.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity will extend the height of the existing weir at the mouth of Pine Creek by less than 1 metre (70 cm) so the lake can hold more water until it is needed from December through March each year to generate electricity.
Yes, this will cause minor inundation, which you can learn about here.
Yes, this will sustainably impact Pine Creek, you can learn about it here.
STEP 03
Safely protect every drop of water
Currently, the weir and control structure on Surprise Lake allows THELP to choose when and how much water to allow down Pine Creek for most of the year. Water flows naturally down the creek to an intake area (headpond) - that’s where water enters a pipe called a Penstock and travels to the existing Powerhouse near the Airport.
That’s how Atlin has generated electricity and a more sustainable local economy since 2009.
The problem? This design, especially in the winter, uses a lot of water to perform a flushing process that addresses frazil ice build-up. In addition, because the water flows down the creek from the control structure it can be difficult to accurately manage the water required for the powerhouse.
The result? Wasted water for power generation.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity will make the best use of every drop of water - A penstock (pipe) will take slightly warmer water directly from Surprise Lake to the existing Powerhouse intake area (headpond). This will allow THEL to do two things:
Safely solve the frazil ice problem
Significantly reduce wasted water each winter
Properly leverage the giant change in elevation
STEP 04
Most people don’t realize that Surprise Lake is about 240 meters above Atlin Lake - that’s a giant change in elevation in a short distance. This change in elevation is a gift from nature, creating fast-moving water and the iconic Pine Creek Falls we all know and love.
A hydro Powerhouse generates electricity from the volume and speed of water passing through its turbine. The greater the change in elevation the faster that water is moving when it arrives at the turbine.
The existing Powerhouse on Pine Creek only uses a portion of the change in elevation between Surprise and Atlin Lakes, so the speed of the water is slower than it could potentially be. This means the turbine produces less electricity than if the water was moving faster. This made a lot of sense when it was designed and has served Atlin well.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity draws water directly from Surprise Lake via a low-pressure penstock (pipe). This penstock will accommodate just over twice the amount of water used in the existing Powerhouse penstock. This buried pipe will travel along Surprise Lake Road until Birch Bridge. As the road crosses Pine Creek the low-pressure penstock will travel away from the road and remain on the opposite side of Pine Creek.
As the geography becomes significantly steeper and the change in elevation more dramatic - the low-pressure penstock will change to a high-pressure penstock. The penstock will pass by the existing Powerhouse near the airport, downhill towards Warm Bay Road. The penstock will flow under Warm Bay Road as the road turns just after the Pine Creek Bridge and remain buried as it passes under the entrance and exit of the Pine Creek campground.
This high-pressure penstock will enable gravity to naturally maximize the water's speed before arriving at a new Lower Powerhouse 650 meters from Pine Creek Beach.
To be clear - the falls aren’t going anywhere! However, the falls will be their strongest a little later in the year and will slow down earlier due to more water being stored in Surprise Lake.
Not final and not to scale
Tap or click
Take a peak at the Penstock Route from Surprise Lake to the lower powerhouse
Change lives by generating and exporting 9.2MW of electricity
STEP 05
Every winter, from December to March and early April, our Yukon neighbours cannot produce enough clean electricity. To compensate - they pay a premium to burn millions of litres of diesel and gas.
Millions. Every winter.
That means big tankers travel up the Alaska Highway, past Jake’s Corner, dropping off their polluting loads in Whitehorse before travelling back south empty. Yukoners would much prefer to pay millions to their friends in sunny Atlin for clean energy each winter - if only we could produce it for them.
At the heart of Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity is a new Powerhouse that will convert all that fast-moving water into export-ready electricity via a 9.2-megawatt Pelton turbine.
This new Powerhouse will be about 650 metres from Pine Creek Beach and roughly 3 Canadian Football fields from its closest neighbour. Original designs for this Powerhouse had it near Pine Creek beach. In response to community feedback, it was moved about 350 meters from the beach. In the final design, THELP was able to move it even further from homes and the beach.
This new Powerhouse will be built with the very best in sound mitigation technology and should not be visible from Warm Bay Road. This Powerhouse is going to generate electricity that we can safely export to our Yukon neighbours. Those ratepayers will spend millions of dollars each year for this clean energy - and have agreed to do so for the next 40 years!
So - how do you stand to benefit from this opportunity? Find out here!
STEP 06
Send the water back to Pine Creek
When water passes through a turbine in a hydro Powerhouse it generates electricity by moving the turbine. The water then flows through what is called a tailrace. The tailrace on THELP’s existing Powerhouse has been depositing safe and clean water back into Pine Creek since 2009.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity will construct a Powerhouse near Warm Bay Road, about 650 upstream from Pine Creek Beach on Atlin Lake. This Powerhouse will include a tailrace that safely deposits water directly into Pine Creek.
Experts in fish and wildlife biology, in addition to hydrologists (experts in waterways), agree the construction and operation of a lower powerhouse and tailrace will not adversely affect the waterway, Pine Creek’s general ecosystem or the fish and wildlife in the area.
Send the electricity to our friends in Whitehorse
STEP 07
The existing Powerhouse on Pine Creek generates enough electricity to power Atlin all year long. The electricity is distributed via BC Hydro’s transmission network and is backed up by rarely used diesel generators.
Atlin’s Hydro Opportunity will export 100% of newly produced electricity to Yukon during the winter.
The electricity will travel underground from the Lower Powerhouse off Warm Bay Road until it leaves the residential area. Once the transmission line is away from residents in the Warm Bay Road area it will come above ground and travel via an elevated transmission line (power poles) up the Penstock route to the existing Powerhouse.
From the existing Powerhouse, the Transmission line will travel northwest to Como Lake. From there it will follow the Atlin Road right-of-way. This will require appropriate clearing of this right-of-way to accommodate the transmission line and will generally improve safety on Atlin Road by increasing drivers' ability to see and avoid wildlife.
Drivers can expect to see about a 13-meter increase in clearing on the roadside to accommodate the transmission line - that’s a couple of pickup truck lengths. As clearing on the Yukon side of the border is already wider, drivers can expect to see only an 11-meter increase in clearing.
Once the transmission line arrives in Jake’s Corner it will enter a power Substation. Here the electricity will be prepared to join the Yukon’s electrical grid for its journey to Whitehorse where it can be put to work powering homes and businesses in southern Yukon during the coldest months of the year.
STAY ENGAGED, OFFER SUPPORT, ASK A QUESTION OR SHARE A CONCERN
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