Canada has added a slate of major clean-energy and northern infrastructure initiatives to the Major Projects Office (MPO), including Nunavut’s first Inuit-owned hydropower development and major transmission expansions in British Columbia and the Yukon.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the projects as part of Ottawa’s second tranche of “nation-building” developments intended to accelerate clean-energy deployment, bolster northern resilience, and support Indigenous-led infrastructure.

Inuit-owned hydropower project

The Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project (INP), to be built on the Kuugaluk River northeast of Iqaluit, has now been formally referred to the MPO. The project is being developed by the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation (NNC) and is described by the federal government as “Nunavut’s first 100% Inuit-owned hydropower energy project.”

Estimated at 15–30MW, the facility is designed to replace Iqaluit’s dependence on roughly 15 million litres of diesel annually, providing what the government calls “affordable, reliable, and emissions-free power.” The proposal includes a dam of approximately 50m in height and a powerhouse designed to serve the city’s full electrical load, with potential expansion to support home heating and future industrial demand.

Federal ministers cast the referral as a milestone for both Arctic sovereignty and Indigenous-driven clean-energy development.

“Indigenous-led clean energy projects like the Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Hydroelectric Project are key to building a more secure, resilient, and sustainable North,” said Crown–Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty. “This project… will end Iqaluit’s reliance on imported diesel for electricity, cut emissions, create good jobs, and strengthen Canada’s Arctic sovereignty for generations to come.”

Harry Flaherty, President and CEO of the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, said the MPO designation represents a shift in how Ottawa views northern infrastructure. “The Inuit-owned Iqaluit Nukkiksautiit Project being named to the Nation-Building Projects list is a signal… that Nunavummiut are essential to the One Canadian Economy, and that Inuit united can take hold of their own future.”

The government says the project will enhance community resilience, create both construction and long-term operations employment, and improve energy security in the Arctic.

Transmission expansion in BC and the Yukon

Also referred to the MPO was the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL), a major grid-expansion project intended to “deliver low-cost, clean electricity, and bolstered telecommunications to local communities along the West Coast.” The Canada Infrastructure Bank has committed a $139.5 million loan to support early-stage development.

The NCTL incorporates the proposed Yukon–B.C. Grid Connect, which would link the Yukon’s isolated grid to the rest of Canada for the first time. Ottawa says the connection would “increase the Yukon’s energy security and provide clean power to communities in Canada’s Northwest corridor.”

The project is expected to power new industrial activity, including the Ksi Lisims LNG project and critical minerals developments.

Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor

The federal government also referred the Northwest Critical Conservation Corridor to the MPO. The initiative will require the construction of new transmission lines and upgrades to highways, transportation networks, and telecommunications. The corridor is intended to balance conservation objectives with economic development in northern B.C.

Prime Minister Carney framed the referrals as part of a long-term national strategy: “We are building sustainably, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, and we are building Canadian, with Canadian workers, materials, and expertise.”

Minister of Energy Tim Hodgson said Canada plans to power industries “with low-carbon Canadian energy,” while B.C. Minister Gregor Robertson said the transmission projects will “unlock new jobs in British Columbia with important projects like the North Coast Transmission Line.”