Summerside urges action as P.E.I. faces growing energy strain, seeking power grid control to secure future electricity and renewable growth.
Summerside Seeks Greater Role in P.E.I.’s Power Future
Growing Energy Strain on the Island
Prince Edward Island’s energy system is facing mounting pressure as electricity demand surges across the province. Officials from the City of Summerside and the P.E.I. Energy Corporation met Thursday with MLAs to discuss how local utilities can help stabilize the grid and expand renewable generation.
Summerside’s Bid for More Control
Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher told the standing committee that his city wants a greater hand in managing the province’s electricity supply. The city currently produces about 60 per cent of its power through solar and wind but depends on Maritime Electric’s transmission network for the rest. Kutcher warned that “time is ticking” as regional forecasts predict potential power shortages by 2028.
Infrastructure and Reliability Challenges
Last winter’s substation failure north of Summerside exposed vulnerabilities in the local grid. Growing electrification — including residents switching from oil heating to renewables — has only added strain. Summerside Electric’s senior utility engineer, Garrett Webster, said new diesel and cleaner backup generators are needed to ensure reliable supply.
Call for Legislative Change
Both Kutcher and Webster argued that legislative barriers are limiting local energy generation. They urged the province to allow Summerside direct access to New Brunswick’s submarine cables and to modernize energy laws so municipalities can generate and distribute more power independently.
Broader Provincial Concerns
P.E.I. Energy Corporation CEO Gordon MacFadyen told MLAs that the province’s peak electricity load climbed from 265 megawatts in 2015 to 359 in 2023 — a record high driven by population growth and cold-weather demand. He said the solution must combine renewable expansion with conventional backup sources to ensure stability.
Debate Over P.E.I.’s Energy Direction
Green MLA Peter Bevan-Baker questioned whether P.E.I.’s Renewable Energy Act should be updated to allow more community-based power generation, similar to Nova Scotia’s one-megawatt limit. MacFadyen agreed, saying, “We need to be 2.0 of what we have today.” Legislative reform is expected to be part of the province’s upcoming energy strategy.
