The town of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, has taken a forward-looking approach to renewable energy procurement. With an average load of 18 MW, the town nevertheless owns and/or purchases a total of 21 MW of capacity from wind, more than it can use on many occasions. It was a deliberate strategy, anticipating the need for more down the road. In the meantime, rather than sell the current surplus, the municipality instituted a program using advanced electrical heating units, controlled through smart grid applications that react to wind variability. An innovative pricing scheme benefits both the utility and residents.
For more information please see the full story by Joseph Bebon, originally published in Renew Grid <http://www.renew-grid.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.9210>.