Maritime Electric’s plan to add two diesel generators in Prince Edward Island is being questioned by a new report suggesting that a battery energy storage system could be a more cost-effective alternative. The report, conducted by Synapse Energy Economics for the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), indicates that installing a 100-megawatt battery system may be cheaper than the proposed 50-megawatt generators. Energy Democracy Now, an advocacy group involved in the application, also supports the idea of using battery power with storage capability.
According to the report, Maritime Electric’s proposal to purchase and set up combustion turbines would cost $411 million, while implementing a battery system would come to $271 million, representing significant savings. Brennan McDuffee from Energy Democracy Now emphasized that a battery energy storage system could optimize the use of existing renewable energy technology by storing energy during off-peak hours and distributing it during peak hours more efficiently compared to traditional combustion turbines, which are subject to market volatility due to their diesel fuel dependency.
The application for the generators is still under review by IRAC, and Maritime Electric CEO Jason Roberts stated that they will respond to the report in due course. While Maritime Electric has argued the necessity of acquiring combustion engines promptly to prevent grid capacity issues, McDuffee highlighted that a battery storage system is a viable and timely solution, drawing parallels to successful implementations in Nova Scotia’s similar climate.
McDuffee urged the public to consider the report’s findings, emphasizing the importance of educating people on renewable technology’s capabilities to improve public health, protect the environment, and enhance energy reliability and affordability for Islanders.