Maritime Electric distributed this flyer to ratepayers with their utility bills earlier this spring. Photo by Stu Neatby /The GuardianArticle contentEnergy future needs better planningTHIS 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 contentAs Maritime Electric promotes its proposal for two used diesel-fuelled turbine generators, Islanders should remember that this is one of the largest electricity investments in Prince Edward Island’s history. The decision will affect electricity rates, reliability and energy policy for decades.Article contentArticle contentNo one disputes that P.E.I. needs a reliable electricity system or additional capacity as demand grows. The real question is whether Islanders can be confident that all reasonable options have been evaluated before hundreds of millions of dollars are committed.Article contentArticle contentRecent developments suggest an important piece of that analysis is still missing.Article contentThe P.E.I. Energy Corporation has confirmed it is moving ahead with the procurement of a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS). Multiple qualified proposals have been received, evaluations have been completed, and the project is now seeking approval to proceed. The province has stated that battery storage has an important role to play in maintaining grid reliability.Article contentHowever, PEIEC has also acknowledged that it has not assessed whether the proposed battery project would reduce the need for Maritime Electric’s turbines, defer their construction, or even eliminate the proposed diesel generation altogether, because it does not operate the electricity grid.Article contentThat raises a simple question: if batteries are now recognized as part of P.E.I.’s future electricity system, why has no integrated assessment been completed showing how the province’s battery project and Maritime Electric’s turbine proposal work together?Article contentArticle contentThe Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission has begun asking exactly these questions through its latest interrogatories. This is good but more questions need to be asked about Maritime Electric’s proposal to meet peak demands.Article contentA public hearing on the application will begin on Aug. 25.Article contentIslanders deserve a transparent, integrated assessment of generation (especially wind and solar), battery storage, demand management, and other available options before one of the largest infrastructure investments in our province’s history is approved.Article contentLeo Broderick, Energy Democracy Now! Co-operative LimitedArticle contentArticle contentThe case for buying localArticle contentIt genuinely blows my mind that so many people are going out of their way to purchase the same products they could get from a local business, from large corporate companies that think they’re just a number on a screen. As someone who used to buy everything new, only from corporate companies, I’ve found that small local businesses are more likely to guarantee their profits go towards something local.
LETTERS: P.E.I.’s energy future deserves better planning; the case for buying local
