Summerside Electric had to start its generators again to preserve supply Monday night

Wayne Thibodeau · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Summerside Electric had to powerfulness up its ain diesel generators again Monday night, aft a informing from Maritime Electric that the inferior didn't person capable powerfulness to proviso the city. 

That happened astatine astir 8 p.m. Monday night. 

J.P. Desrosiers, the city's lawman main administrative officer, says the determination was made "quite quickly" to powerfulness up the backup generators to enactment Maritime Electric's request for much power.  

"We had to curtail immoderate of our usage for astir an hr during highest demand, which required america to occurrence our generators for that hourlong period," said Desrosiers.     

P.E.I.'s second-biggest city, which operates its ain inferior arsenic Summerside Electric, has faced important powerfulness disruptions passim the period of February. While the metropolis generates astir 60 per cent of its energy done renewable sources similar star and wind, it depends connected Maritime Electric's transmission grid for powerfulness Summerside buys from New Brunswick.

'That fig continues to grow'

This is each connected to a nonaccomplishment astatine Maritime Electric's Sherbrooke substation, located conscionable northbound of the city. Last month, Maritime Electric installed a mobile transformer brought successful from Newfoundland at the substation to assistance stabilize the situation. 

But that is lone a impermanent solution. 

Desrosiers said the mobile transformer has helped, but it costs thousands of dollars each clip the metropolis has to occurrence up 1 of its backup generators.

To date, the powerfulness contented has outgo the metropolis astir $450,000 — wealth Desrosiers said the metropolis has not budgeted for.

"That fig continues to turn arsenic we proceed to beryllium required, wherever possible — oregon wherever needed, I should say — to tally our diesel-powered generators to enactment the load that's not capable to beryllium brought to america done the transmission lines," helium said. 

"Those expenses are not thing that we thin to fund for and our inferior is not designed for." 

Would similar to 'rest a small easier'

Desrosiers said the metropolis hasn't determined however it volition screen those costs, but helium hopes it volition not person to beryllium passed connected to residents. In bully times, helium said, the metropolis uses immoderate profits from the inferior for different metropolis projects, so those projects mightiness suffer in the future. 

CBC News reached retired to Maritime Electric astir the status of repairs astatine the Sherbrooke substation, but a institution typical said it could not supply an update connected that substance Tuesday. 

Desrosiers said his inferior unit are successful changeless interaction with Maritime Electric, but they person not received immoderate accusation connected erstwhile a imperishable hole mightiness happen.

"I deliberation everyone would remainder a small easier if we had much accusation connected that," helium said.