Author of the article: Yutaro Sasaki • Local Journalism InitiativePublished Apr 08, 2025 • 4 minute readGreen MLA Matt MacFarlane raised concerns during question period about skyrocketing electricity bills in P.E.I., urging action on the rising costs faced by residents. Photo by Stu Neatby /Guardian fileEnergy Minister Gilles Arsenault faced questions about Summerside’s rolling power outages earlier this winter from all sides of the floor during question period at the P.E.I. legislature on March 27.Summerside-Wilmot MLA Tyler DesRoches was among those questioning Arsenault, saying there was a threat of rolling blackouts for a week straight, and it left a lot of the city’s residents uneasy.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“The CEO of Maritime Electric came out and said if they paid more for their power, they could have been an uninterrupted customer. The mayor of the City of Summerside came out and said they’ve been trying to do this for a couple of years,” said DesRoches.Recommended from Editorial Energy distribution difficult to control in P.E.I. Calculating Summerside’s solar net metering program Arsenault said he’s been in frequent contact with the City of Summerside and was on the phone every night during those threats of a rolling blackout through February.“I spent an hour and a half in the grid operating room with the operator, and it is a serious issue. There is an agreement between Maritime Electric and the Summerside utility,” he said.“I will make sure that those two partners get in the same room to have a further conversation on how to resolve this issue,” Arsenault added.Power linesThe issue stems back to decisions that were made in 2017. When the city’s public transmission lines were finished, they were handed over to a private company, said DesRoches.Article content“Summerside Electric was allowed to use 10 per cent of these new transmission lines, but they had to do it through Maritime Electric. We’re still in the same situation where Maritime Electric’s infrastructure fails,” he said.“Can you sit here and tell us that your department will look into this and see if we can’t get direct access for the City of Summerside utility?” DesRoches asked.The department will definitely get in the same room and hash this out, Arsenault said in response.“We also have a previous ruling from IRAC and also a ruling that was upheld by the provincial Court of Appeal,” Arsenault said.As Summerside’s infrastructure grows, its residents will require more power in the future, DesRoches said.“If they were able to access 10 per cent of them, that would help them go a long way. But right now, they’re not allowed to access any of the old cables,” he said. Summerside-Wilmot MLA Tyler DesRoches questioned the government during the March 27 legislature session over a week-long threat of rolling blackouts in Summerside, leaving residents uneasy. Photo by Stu Neatby /Guardian fileIn response, Arsenault said he would make sure that those two parties would have a conversation and that his department could ensure that both would come out as winners.Article content“We are looking at a very resilient and affordable grid for all of our residents here in P.E.I.,” Arsenault said.Electricity ratesDuring the same question period, Green MLA Matt MacFarlane also raised concerns about energy distribution in P.E.I.“Three of my constituents reached out when their bills skyrocketed to over a thousand dollars just last month alone,” he said.With the government spending millions of dollars on transitioning P.E.I. residents toward greener electric energy, many feel as if they are being punished with the increased cost, MacFarlane said.“What are you going to do to investigate these suddenly increasing bills for Maritime Electric?” MacFarlane asked. Green MLA Matt MacFarlane raised concerns during question period about skyrocketing electricity bills in P.E.I., urging action on the rising costs faced by residents. Photo by Stu Neatby /Guardian filePeople cannot forget that it’s a regulated monopoly, and the government has to let the regulator do its job, Arsenault said in response.“As well to make sure that they’re aware of all the complaints, and we’re encouraging islanders to put their complaints forward,” he said.Article contentTrack recordLiberal MLA Robert Henderson also voiced concerns about energy distribution in P.E.I. during question period.“Why has so little been accomplished by your department on this essential service of electric distribution to Islanders other than a passing reference in the throne speech about grid resiliency?” he asked Arsenault.It’s an important topic, said Arsenault in response.“We’ve worked hard in the last couple of months to make electricity here affordable and reliable in Prince Edward Island,” he said. Liberal MLA Robert Henderson raised concerns during the March 27 question period about the progress on P.E.I.’s energy distribution. Photo by Stu Neatby /Guardian fileThe previous energy minister Steven Myers stated that he was going to let the legislative process play out and see what the department recommends to deal with the power loss and transmission lines, said Henderson.“What have you done to tackle electrical distribution to all island ratepayers on a daily basis, regardless of whether the wind blows or the sun don’t shine?” Henderson asked.Referring to the throne speech, it says the grid needs resiliency to upgrade again, he added.Article contentArsenault said the department has been working hard, and it has two pieces of work coming out very shortly.“One is the P.E.I. energy review, which will be a comprehensive review and that will be coming out in the next four to five weeks. We also had the P.E.I. energy blueprint that will be coming out in the fall, which is a 10-year strategy,” he said.More than 60 communities in P.E.I. have been consulted regarding those documents, Arsenault added.Yutaro Sasaki is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter, a position funded by the federal government. He can be reached at ysasaki@postmedia.com and followed on X @PEyutarosasaki.Article content
Energy minister faces questions on Summerside power outages
