Maritime Electric promises to reduce greenhouse gas emission in P.E.I.

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Maritime Electrical is committing to lowering its greenhouse gasoline emissions by 55 per cent by 2030. 

An annual sustainability report for 2022 – the primary to be launched by the corporate – outlined plans to additional convert to greener power sources that rely much less on fossil fuels. 

The objective is formidable however achievable with the progress the corporate has already made to transform to greener power, mentioned CEO Jason Roberts throughout an interview on July 28 with the SaltWire Community. 

“Actually, these are some important undertakings, however we expect it may be carried out,” he mentioned. 

The goal exceeds the Paris Agreement emissions pathway of limiting the common international temperature rise to lower than 2 C above pre-industrial ranges. It additionally aligns with the federal government of P.E.I.’s transition to net-zero by 2040. 

To realize this, the corporate plans to combine extra renewable power into the system, corresponding to wind and photo voltaic power, and to attempt to use extra energy from Island sources.

Maritime Electrical presently purchases 100 per cent of the power produced from wind farms on the Island – not fairly 20 per cent of what it makes use of yearly. 

Final 12 months, 66.3 per cent of the Island’s power was bought by way of NB Energy. As well as, 13.7 per cent was nuclear power, internet metering made up 0.4 per cent and diesel accounted for under 0.1 per cent. 

At a look

• In 2020, Maritime Electrical began a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) removing program to take away all tools containing PCB with a focus above 50 components per million (ppm) from its system.
• At Maritime Electrical, an environmental administration system is used to file spills, keep a hazardous supplies database, handle hazardous waste and full corrective actions. 
• Each two years, the environmental administration system undergoes an in depth audit by a 3rd celebration to see how the work has been accomplished and what extra must be carried out.

Extra to do

Roberts mentioned the corporate must discover a approach to make its buildings extra environment friendly. This implies upgrading tools and increasing wire sizes to permit entry for extra energy. 

The report additionally set a objective of changing its whole fleet of service automobiles to electrical automobiles by 2032.

“We checked out our fleet, we checked out fuels we used to warmth our buildings and we checked out how a lot comes from our mills right here in Charlottetown to see the place we are able to make reductions,” Roberts mentioned. 

It’s also looking for methods to cut back its carbon footprint, decrease heating prices for Islanders and presumably change to electrical energy as a heating supply. 

“We don’t generate a complete lot (of fossil fuels), however they must be there for backup functions.” 

One other space the place enhancements are being made is with streetlights throughout the province. 

Since 2018, over 9,500 LED streetlights have been put in with the objective being to transform all remaining streetlights to LED by 2025. LED lights devour lower than half of the power, and in 2021, they helped save roughly 120,000 kWh. 

Maritime Electrical can be within the strategy of decommissioning the Charlottetown Thermal Producing Station (CTGS), situated within the east finish of town. 

Earlier than the set up of subsea cables connecting P.E.I. to New Brunswick, the CTGS was the first supply of electrical energy technology on the Island. 

“We’ve got made important progress at CTGS since 2015 by reducing greenhouse gasoline emissions by 87 per cent,” mentioned Roberts. 

“There may be loads of hydroelectric power produced in these provinces, so if we are able to discover a approach to incorporate a system by way of this a part of the nation it might be an awesome profit to have.” — Jason Roberts

Atlantic Loop

One other concept is presumably including the province to a proposed power hall generally known as the Atlantic Loop, which might increase {the electrical} grid connections between Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and supply larger entry to renewable electrical energy in P.E.I.

“There may be loads of hydroelectric power produced in these provinces, so if we are able to discover a approach to incorporate a system by way of this a part of the nation it might be an awesome profit to have,” he mentioned. 

It’s not identified how a lot these objectives will price, however Islanders ought to count on a transition over the subsequent few years, he added. 

“Clearly P.E.I. has seen some very excessive inflation charges over the previous 12 months, however I don’t see any incremental prices coming ahead. It’s vital for folks to do not forget that now we have a really inexperienced power provide combine at present, and it’s at all times a transition to maneuver away from fossil fuels. All of us must work there so we are able to get there as shortly as doable and effectively as doable.” 

SaltWire additionally contacted Angela Banks, the net-zero co-ordinator for the Division of Setting, Power and Local weather Motion, however didn’t obtain remark earlier than deadline. 

Rafe Wright is a Native Journalism Initiative reporter, a place coated by the federal authorities. He writes about local weather change points for the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island and may be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @wright542.