Off-grid energy sustainability in Nunatukavut, Labrador: Centering Inuit voices on heat insecurity in diesel-powered communities

Abstract

Of 259 off-grid communities in Canada, 190 remain almost exclusively dependent on diesel-fuel for electricity generation. While a growing body of literature demonstrates the economic, environmental, and societal challenges of diesel-fired electricity, there is limited research which seeks to understand Indigenous perspectives on off-grid energy systems, despite the fact that the majority of off-grid communities identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis (65% or n = 169). By partnering with the NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC), this research aims to privilege the perspectives of NunatuKavut Inuit who live in the diesel-dependent communities of Black Tickle, St. Lewis, and Norman Bay in southeast Labrador. Our mixed-methods research involved community-member interviews (n = 75) and key informant interviews (n = 7). A key finding is that community-members value socio-economic contributions of diesel-generation such as employment, reliability, familiarity, and contributions to community-resilience – while also expressing concern about environmental degradation and the risk of fuel spills affecting livelihoods. Primary energy-system concerns relate to heat insecurity, and energy systems dependent on external control, support, and imports. By privileging voices of Inuit in these diesel-dependent communities, we were able to locate community identified strengths associated with local energy systems, while shifting focus to what community-members perceive as the most pressing energy-related challenges in their communities.