Summerside's new campaign aims to ease strain on city's power grid at peak times

The City of Summerside has launched a campaign with the aim of reducing electricity use during peak hours over the coldest winter months.

The city's "Beat the Peak" public awareness initiative is running until March.

Greg Gaudet, the city's director of municipal services, said there are two main times of day when electricity use is at its peak — weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m., and from 4 to 8 p.m., when many households are using heat, hot water and appliances at the same time.

The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness about those peak times, he said, and how they can constrain the electrical system.

"We would really like for people to be mindful of when those demand times [for] electricity are and maybe do their part," Gaudet said.

P.E.I.’s power grid has long relied on two subsea cables that connect the Island to the mainland and electricity purchased from New Brunswick Power.

Summerside Electric, which is owned by the city, generates about 60 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources like solar and wind, but it still relies on Maritime Electric's transmission system for power that the smaller utility buys from New Brunswick.

With P.E.I.’s grid under increased pressure, Summerside has been preparing for situations where its power is curtailed. 

Residents who participate in in the campaign will ease that strain while lowering their electricity bills at the same time, he said.

Gaudet said residential buildings seem to have the highest demand, while peak times for businesses and office buildings often fluctuate.

"The bigger demand ... really comes from the residential sector there for heating buildings and cooking," he said.

While participating in the campaign is not mandatory, Gaudet said what may seem like a small change can contribute a lot.

"We don't by any means expect people to be inconvenienced by their efforts. It's all basically personal behavior on what they feel they can do," he said.

"If you can, that's great. If you can't, that's OK too. Because at the same time, every little bit helps the system."