A recent report recommends that Summerside maintain a mixed approach to meet its short- and medium-term energy demands.
The engineering consulting firm Dunsky Energy and Climate Advisors advised the city to focus on four key areas.
First, the city should acquire or build 24 megawatts of wind energy. Of this, 14 megawatts would be new capacity. The remaining 10 megawatts would replace power from an existing contract with the West Cape Wind Farm that is soon to expire.
Second, Summerside should add 10 megawatts of battery storage.
Third, the city should improve its connection with N.B. Power, which currently supplies part of Summerside’s electricity under contract. This could include negotiating for additional energy capacity.
Finally, the report suggests building 15 megawatts of new diesel generators. These would use cleaner fuels to meet peak energy demands.
Dunsky Energy was hired by the city earlier this year to review Summerside’s current and future energy needs. The firm presented its findings at a public meeting on June 2.
Public Reaction
Peter Sorensen, a Summerside resident, attended the meeting. He agreed with many of Dunsky Energy’s recommendations but wished the report had explored more joint projects with other Island energy providers.
He said while some duplication can be helpful, finding ways to reduce costs should also be a priority.
“I’m impressed by the strategic thinking of the Summerside utility and the work of Dunsky,” Sorensen said. “The recommendations look solid. The question is how to make an affordable decision and avoid working in isolation as a small provincial community. Why don’t these ideas apply to the whole province?
“Why do we need separate backup plans for Summerside and Maritime Electric? It doesn’t make sense. We should centralize management and ownership and move forward cooperatively.”
Dunsky Energy’s Perspective
Ben Kujala, senior research lead at Dunsky Energy, said the city asked them to find a solution that balances cost and climate goals.
The firm examined many options, including both established and emerging technologies.
“We focused on what is reliable and cost-effective,” Kujala explained.
He noted challenges such as supply chain issues and tariffs, even with well-known technologies. While new technologies may be promising, their costs and reliability are uncertain within Summerside’s required timeframe.
Now that the report is complete, Summerside Electric and city staff will work on details like cost estimates. These discussions will continue, and city council may see initial proposals later this year.
Looking Ahead
Greg Gaudet, director of municipal services for Summerside, expressed satisfaction with the report. He said it supports the city’s ongoing strategy of diversifying its energy sources.
Summerside’s mix of solar, wind, battery backup, and diesel generators helped it avoid rolling blackouts in February. That month, a 50-megawatt transformer failure at the Maritime Electric substation in Sherbrooke cut the city’s electricity supply from N.B. Power.
This event pushed the city to prioritize replacing its aging diesel generators and renewed efforts toward energy independence from Maritime Electric. While discussions about independence continue, Dunsky’s report marks a step toward upgrading the city’s generator fleet.
“I think the recommendations offer a balanced plan for Summerside,” Gaudet said. “Having an outside firm like Dunsky confirm the need for more wind, batteries, generators, and stronger transmission lines aligns with what Summerside has been doing for 25 years. This gives us confidence to continue.”
