New power cables to support economic development and provide stable and secure electricity supply
March 20, 2015 – Summerside, Prince Edward Island – Infrastructure Canada
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Regional Minister for Prince Edward Island and Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, was joined today by the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), to announce that the Government of Canada has conditionally set aside up to $50 million from the Green Infrastructure Fund for a project to help stabilize the electricity supply in Prince Edward Island.
This infrastructure project, the most significant on Prince Edward Island since the Confederation Bridge, will support job creation and economic growth by making cheaper, cleaner forms of energy available to residents and businesses, thereby reducing reliance on generators.
The Northumberland Strait Power Cable Project will involve installing two, 180-megawatt, high-voltage submarine transmission cables across the Northumberland Strait, as well as the necessary on-land infrastructure. The cables will span 17 kilometres of the Strait from Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, to Borden, Prince Edward Island. The existing cables installed in 1977 are nearing the end of their life-cycle. Connecting the new cables will help sustain uninterrupted service at a reasonable cost for Islanders.
Vincent Rabault
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Website: Infrastructure Canada
