July 23, 2020 – Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada announced funding for a new 106-km transmission line (and related equipment) to support future wind energy generation projects in western Prince Edward Island.

Once completed, the transmission line will increase the province’s capacity to manage the anticipated 40 MW from the future Skinner’s Pond Windfarm planned for 2025 (to be developed by Invenergy), and provide connectivity to the Sherbrooke substation to the northeast of Summerside.

This lack of transmission capacity has been an important issue.

According to the Skinner’s Pond Wind Energy Centre website, while The Island has a high-voltage 138-kV transmission grid, it stops about 25 km short of Skinner’s Pond, and the area’s lower-voltage circuits simply don’t have the capacity to receive power from, say, a 30-MW wind farm.

The feds are investing $21.25 million while the province is ponying up $22.75 million through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure program.

“We live on an island that has tremendous potential in further developing renewable energy,” said Premier Dennis King. “The strategic investment we are making today in the Skinner’s Pond transmission line will allow Prince Edward Island to further harness the natural power of wind to create clean, locally produced and locally used energy that will benefit of all Islanders.”