Shea backs P.E.I. wind power connection

P.E.I.'s representative in the federal government is backing an application from the province for funds to build an additional electrical cable to New Brunswick.

Premier Robert Ghiz talked about the project during a meeting with Gail Shea Thursday, and she said she plans on making the case for the project to her cabinet colleagues.

"There is an application in to Infrastructure Canada," said Shea.

"The premier raised it as an issue, a matter of importance, so I will go back to Ottawa and support the project."

The cable would allow the province to export energy produced at wind farms on the Island. The proposal is to run the cable through Confederation Bridge at a cost of between $60 million and $70 million.

P.E.I. Energy Minister Richard Brown will be in Ottawa next week to present the province's case for the cable.

The former Liberal government in Ottawa had approved funding for the cable on the eve of an election, but the project was shelved when the Conservatives came to power.

Energy storage project underway

The Island's Wind Energy Institute of Canada announced another potential solution for P.E.I.'s excess wind power — storing it.

The North Cape research centre is getting more than $10 million from Ottawa to investigate options for storing wind energy.

"It's important to Canada as we continue to put more and more wind energy on the grid," said Wind Energy Institute CEO Scott Harper.

"The problem with wind is it does not always blow."

As part of the research more wind turbines will be set up at North Cape, producing nine megawatts. The project will explore the efficacy of several technologies, including batteries and flywheels.