Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island: On August 29, PEI Premier Wade MacLauchlan and Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, celebrated the completion of the Northumberland Strait Submarine Transmission System project.
The new submarine transmission system, a $142.5-million investment cost-shared by the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island, increases the province's total electric power capacity to 560 megawatts. It will also contribute to ongoing efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels by building connections to facilitate access to cleaner electricity supplies.
The project comprises two 180-megawatt underwater cables connecting Prince Edward Island to mainland New Brunswick. Replacing decades-old cables that had a total capacity of 200 megawatts of energy, the cables were officially "plugged in" during the August 29 energization ceremony.
The submarine transmission system spans 17 kilometres from Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, to Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island and supplies approximately 75% of the Island's electricity. The project has been Prince Edward Island's top infrastructure priority and represents the largest infrastructure project the province has undertaken since the construction of the Confederation Bridge.