Clean energy leaders in Whitehorse for unique gathering on remote and Indigenous energy access

WHITEHORSE, YT — Over 350 Indigenous leaders, representatives of federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as energy industry experts and policy analysts are meeting in Whitehorse this week for a unique three-day conference on clean energy opportunities in remote communities across Canada.

Canada is home to more than 240 remote communities, scattered across nearly every province and territory. In contrast to the rest of Canada, these communities (and the three northern territories) must produce all their electricity and heat locally, and cannot export or import any electricity from neighbouring jurisdictions. Around 70% rely exclusively on imported diesel fuel to do this – a system with negative impacts for community health, affordability, energy security, and Indigenous rights.

Now in its tenth year, the Pembina Institute’s Renewables in Remote Communities conference brings together a range of prominent individuals and groups working to address these issues – often through the development of renewable energy projects and electrified end-uses that allow communities to control and produce energy locally.

This year’s event will include more than 40 sessions, panel discussions and regional workshops focused on the innovative ways communities across the country are implementing technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, hydro and other renewables to service their energy needs.

There is also a significant youth element to this year’s conference, with special panels and workshops focusing on the role inter-generational cooperation and knowledge transfer plays in many remote transitions to clean energy - where youth, elders, and other community members are working together to advocate for clean energy projects that contribute to community priorities around environmental stewardship, public health, and job creation.

Tuesday evening’s opening ceremony included remarks from conference attendees, including Chief Sean Uyenets’echᶖa Smith (Kwanlin Dün First Nation), and Hon. John Streicker (Minister - Energy, Mines & Resources, Government of Yukon).

Interviews can be arranged with conference attendees and Pembina Institute experts. The conference runs from 25-28 March.

Quotes

“The individuals involved in this work have long understood something we all need to recognize: that low-cost clean energy, produced locally, is the route to energy security, affordability and sovereignty – as well as one of the key ways we can care for the environment and protect against climate change. Now more than ever, Canada has a lot to learn from the people gathered here.”

— Lynne Couves, Director, Renewables in Remote Communities program, Pembina Institute

“The Pembina Institute has worked on remote energy issues for more than twenty years, in close collaboration with Indigenous leaders and remote communities. Every time we gather for this conference, we leave understanding more about the state of remote energy and the research and support needed to accelerate and strengthen the transition. As a result of this unique event, new relationships are formed, important stories are told, and our collective capacities to meaningfully support community-led diesel reduction and clean energy leadership are deepened.”

— Chris Severson-Baker, Executive Director, Pembina Institute

Key facts

The 2025 Renewables in Remote Communities conference is the fourth since 2015. The conference last gathered in 2022.
Participants are travelling to Whitehorse from nearly every province and territory in Canada (with the exception of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia), illustrating the national scope of remote energy issues.
Each session has been specially constructed by the communities, experts, industry leaders, and policymakers that are driving the transition forward:
- Community stories and journeys on clean energy, including energy planning, project successes and lessons learned
- Economics and financial considerations of advancing clean energy projects
- Technology, micro-grid modelling, feasibility studies, and engineering studies
- Policies including government programs, procurement policies, and Indigenous policies
- Indigenous culture, awareness, traditional knowledge
From 2015 to 2020 renewable energy projects in remote communities nearly doubled, leading to a reduction of more than 12 million litres of diesel use per year.
There are roughly 240 remote communities in Canada. 170 of these communities are Indigenous. Diesel reduction efforts in Canada are largely driven by Indigenous leadership.
Diesel electricity subsidies cost an estimated $300 million to $400 million every year. These subsidies tend to mask the true cost of diesel and the benefits of clean energy projects in displacing it.

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