Energy Democracy Now! Co-operative presented idea to IRAC on Jan. 13
A group of P.E.I. activists is attempting to stop Maritime Electric’s $334-million proposal to build two 50-megawatt generators in Charlottetown.
Energy Democracy Now! Co-operative, which was founded and incorporated in 2023, members believe the climate crisis demands a shift from a corporate fossil-fuelled economy to a society and economy that are governed by local community priorities.
Among the co-operative’s governing principles is that residents of P.E.I. should have greater democratic control and participation in energy policies and decisions, and that every person should have access to sufficient, affordable energy.
Present petition to IRAC
The board of directors dropped by the offices of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) on Jan. 13 with a petition and a proposal to counter what Maritime Electric has before the commission.
“We have been preparing our response to (Maritime Electric’s) presentation and we’ve had it ready to go for a couple of months now and we’ve been waiting for the public hearings,” said Darcie Lanthier, a director with the co-operative.
“We were quite anxious that the public hearings occur before Maritime Electric sends a deposit to Pro Energy, which is another kettle of fish for these jet engines.”
Pro Energy is a company that manufactures power-generating products.
Lanthier said Maritime Electric intends to create a deferral account to put through a down payment on the megawatt generators before the company receives permission to build them.
She suggests it would commit the province into buying those generators.
“I think they are trying to push us into a corner with that, so we delivered our proposal today which has much better alternatives than what Maritime Electric has proposed.”
Standing committee hearings
Lanthier’s group also delivered almost 300 signatures from Islanders who oppose the Maritime Electric proposal.
Lanthier was at two standing committee hearings with Maritime Electric on Jan. 8 in which Island MLAs grilled company CEO Jason Roberts and vice-president Angus Orford on the proposal among other issues.
Lanthier is confused why the utility told MLAs it needed new cables to New Brunswick for more power and in the same breath said New Brunswick does not have enough power to supply P.E.I.
“So, which is it, exactly?” Lanthier said.
Co-operative’s proposal
The co-operative is proposing peak reductions or peak shavings for those times when P.E.I. is using the most electricity.
“The perfect solution for that is grid-sized battery storage,” Lanthier said, referring to battery energy storage systems.
Lanthier said the co-operative proposes building two 50-megawatt batteries in Charlottetown.
“It’s economical (and) far less expensive to purchase, install and operate and (will) produce electricity.”
Leo Broderick, president of the co-operative, said Maritime Electric’s proposal is all about keeping its shareholders happy.
“It’s nothing more than that,” Broderick said. “It to guarantee their shareholders, for the next 30 years they will receive 9.7 per cent rate of return. It locks us into diesel fuel, which is absolutely ridiculous.”
Broderick said the world is moving to renewable energy and it is time P.E.I. jumps aboard.
“We have accumulated the research (and) the evidence that our proposal is far better. Renewables can do it.”
At a glance
- Energy Democracy Now! Co-operative’s presentation to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission points to a Nova Scotia proposal, a province facing similar challenges of load growth and the federal mandate to phase out coal by 2030.
- Rather than build new gas generation, Nova Scotia Power is in the process of building three large-scale megawatt BESS (battery energy storage systems) facilities.
- The total project cost is $354 million, but it is being funded with more than $117 million in federal grants, covering a third of the cost.
Delayed public hearings
Broderick said Roberts admitted these turbines will be used and he said it will take at least three years to build them. Meanwhile, the risk of planned power outages remains.
“It is not going to address the issue today,” he said. “Our proposal will do exactly the same thing (immediately).”
Broderick said IRAC has not announced public hearings as of yet. When The Guardian asked an IRAC official, a spokesperson said a notice would be published in the newspaper.
Broderick said he worries about the delay.
“The problem is this deferral account, which is what Maritime Electric wants. It wasn’t part of the original proposal. This has come out since (and) there has been a public reaction and what they want is to sneak in a down payment, so it commits the province to buy these two outdated (megawatt turbines).”
The co-operative next has a meeting with Environment Minister Gilles Arsenault on Jan. 15.