SUMMERSIDE - It’s going to cost the City of Summerside $75,000 to move ahead with a review of the municipality’s future electrical needs.
The city opted to go with an independent review after residents expressed concern that the municipality’s own internal review had not looked hard enough for a green energy alternative.
Council will decide later this month whether to approve the independent review contract to Dunsky Energy Consulting, which was the lowest of two bidders at $75,000.
Summerside Electric buys its power from New Brunswick Power and supplements it with energy from its own wind power station.
It also buys electrical capacity, which is backup power in case it’s needed, also from New Brunswick Power.
The city also has a number of diesel generators that help contribute to that overall capacity.
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City staff say replacing the oldest of them would allow more of that capacity to be available locally, instead of having to be purchased from New Brunswick.
The city had previously issued an RFP to replace the old generators and Kore Energy, a spinoff of Nautican, submitted the bid city staff recommended to council for approval.
Kore offered to install a 16-megawatt dual-fuel turbo-generator for $19.6 million.
Dunsky expects, if it’s awarded the contract, to have the review, which will include public consultation, back in the hands of city staff by Dec. 24.
There is also a municipal election in November and some councillors expressed concern at handing a $19.6-million decision to a group of new councillors.
However, it was pointed out that just because the report will come back in December, does not mean council will have to make a decision immediately.
