We can keep the lights on without Maritime Electric’s expensive diesel plant by using smart metering, large-scale battery storage, new renewable generation, and better connections to Atlantic Canada’s power grid.
The PEI Coalition for Public Services, Energy Democracy Now, and the Council of Canadians are working together to put Islanders first, and ensure that PEI invests in affordable and sustainable energy production instead of Maritime Electric’s proposed diesel plant.
Learn more at an upcoming public information session near you! Please RSVP at energydemocracy.ca/energy-information-sessions/ , or sign up to be informed about future events using the form below.
Montrose
Montrose Community Centre
2091 Union Road
Wednesday, January 28
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Summerside
Summerside Rotary Library
57 Central Street
Tuesday, February 3
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Cornwall
Cornwall Town Hall
15 Mercedes Drive
Wednesday, February 4
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
**See Frequently asked questions below the form!
Energy Democracy Now! Co-Operative Limited
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much would this diesel plant cost? What else could we invest in?
Maritime Electric says the diesel plant will cost $334 million, and in their filings with IRAC included a scenario in which the capital costs are 30% higher than expected – a scenario in which the diesel plant might cost $434.5 million.
Islanders could instead invest in lower cost options like:
- 100MW battery storage facility at a total project cost of $184M – significantly lower than what Maritime Electric is proposing!
- Putting the provinces’ smart meters to work. Maritime Electric has already budgeted for and started installing smart metres across the province, which could help power utilities to reduce peaks in energy demand. However, this tool isn’t being used to its full potential yet. For no additional capital cost, Maritime Electric and the PEI Energy Corporation could cut down peak energy demand using smart meters.
Is it true that PEI needs more energy generation?
PEI needs to make some changes to its current electricity grid to keep up with demand – but these changes don’t need to include an expensive diesel plant. A big part of the challenge on PEI is that a lot of electricity is used at peak times of day, requiring huge amounts of electricity all at once.
There are several ways to do what experts call ‘peak shaving’ – bringing down the size of that peak usage and spreading energy use across the 24 hour day. For example, we could invest in:
- Smart meters: Maritime Electric has already budgeted for and started installing smart metres across the province, which could help power utilities to reduce peaks in energy demand. However, this tool isn’t being used to its full potential yet. For no additional capital cost, Maritime Electric and the PEI Energy Corporation could cut down peak energy demand using smart metres.
- Battery storage: storage that charges during off‑peak hours and puts energy onto the grid at peak hours.
- New renewable electricity generation: new solar and wind installations would more electrical capacity to the grid
- Better connection to the regional power grid: this would make more electrical capacity available on the island
I know about Maritime Electric, but who is PROENERGY?
PROENERGY is the company that would build and operate the diesel generating station that Maritime Electric is proposing. This is an American company out of Texas, and comes with a bad reputation. In 2024, ProEnergy’s parent company Energy Capital Partners donated almost a million dollars to the Republican Party during the election that landed Trump in the White House.
This company is currently demanding that New Brunswick pay a deposit for a similar project by April 2, 2026. On December 4th, CBC reported that ProEnergy is threatening to pull out of New Brunswick entirely unless the deal is done by April 2nd.
This bad reputation extends beyond North America, too. The US Department of Justice has an open investigation regarding ProEnergy’s relationship with Venezuelan company Derwick Associates. This case is investigating charges of inflating prices, bribing government officials, and banking law violations. Read more about this here.
Can batteries really help keep the lights on during emergencies?
- Modern grid‑scale batteries can respond in milliseconds, far faster than a gas turbine that takes several minutes to ramp up, which makes them excellent for sudden problems on the grid.
- The reports note that grid‑forming batteries can also help restart parts of the grid after a blackout (black‑start) and support local “microgrids,” so communities are less dependent on one big fossil plant.
Can PEI have stable electricity without using fossil fuels?
Yes! For example, the City of Summerside already operates its own 12 MW municipal wind farm (Canada’s first community-owned wind plant, operational since 2009) and has recently completed Sunbank, a 21.6 MW solar farm with a 10 MW/20 MWh battery storage system, bringing the city to over 62% renewable generation.
Canada has a growing number of solar cooperatives that allow everyday citizens to invest in and benefit from renewable energy, and get out from under the thumb of monopoly energy corporations like Maritime Electric. Solar Share in Ontario is the country’s largest renewable energy co-operative, founded in 2010. It has raised over $80 million from more than 2,000 members to develop 51 solar projects generating 15 megawatts of clean energy annually across the province.
What does the Coalition for Public Services want?
The PEI Coalition for Public Services is a collection of Island organizations who recognize the benefits of robust, reliable, and high-quality public systems – including electricity.
In the short term, we want to see IRAC (the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission) consider non-fossil fuel solutions to PEI’s energy needs, and explore options like battery storage, smart meter use, more renewable energy production, and regional grid improvements alongside Maritime Electric’s proposal for the Charlottetown diesel plant. We believe that if these alternatives are seriously considered, they will prove to be cheaper for rate payers, produce less pollution on the Island, and give us the energy security we need.
In the long term, we want to build a future for PEI where government owned and operated public services – including electricity and beyond – are accountable to the public and accessible to all.
How can I help?
Sign up on the form above to receive updates about this campaign, including reminders of the upcoming info sessions, relevant news, and other opportunities to have an impact on PEI’s energy future.
You can also sign Energy Democracy Now’s petition demanding that IRAC and MECL should consider alternatives to the diesel plant.
What is demand-side management, and how can it save me money?
Demand‑side management (DSM) is a set of tools that helps households and businesses use electricity more efficiently and shift some of their use away from the most expensive peak hours.
It saves individual consumers money by:
- Letting people shift flexible uses (like water heating, EV charging, or some appliance use) to cheaper off‑peak times when rates are lower, especially when paired with smart meters and time‑of‑use pricing.
- Reducing the need for new, expensive power plants and grid upgrades, which ultimately show up on power bills; strong DSM programs in places like Ontario cut hundreds of megawatts of peak demand and avoid billions of dollars in new infrastructure costs.
What is peak shaving and why does it matter?
- Peak shaving means reducing the highest spikes in electricity demand and spreading use across the day to avoid running the most expensive, dirtiest generators.
- Smart meters, time‑of‑use rates, and storage that charges off‑peak and discharges at peak are all proven tools utilities use to shave peaks and avoid building new fossil‑fuel plants.