BY PAULA BIGGAR
GUEST OPINION
A recent guest opinion from a contributing writer for Canadians for Affordable Energy (Guardian, June 22) pointed out the need for governments across the country to recognize the importance of providing affordable energy. That is why the Prince Edward Island government has taken strong action to ensure that energy costs are reasonable, stable and predictable for all Islanders.
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The 2016 electricity agreement with Maritime Electric provided for a stable rate increase of 2.3 per cent annually until 2019. Maritime Electric has recently negotiated a new five-year energy purchase agreement with NB Power. As a result, Prince Edward Island’s electricity rates will not be affected by any future increases in New Brunswick.
new electrical cable connecting our province to New Brunswick will provide energy security and more flexibility for power purchase agreements, allowing for large purchases of electricity when prices are favourable. The new cable will lower energy costs for Islanders over time.
In 2017, the government introduced a new 10-year energy strategy which will result in energy savings for Islanders and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The goal is to achieve savings of two per cent of electrical and non-electrical consumption each year by 2020.
Aside from these major initiatives, the government has also acted to help Islanders save energy costs in other ways.
In the spring session of the Legislative Assembly, we announced the removal of the provincial portion of the HST on residential electricity, wood pellets and propane. This will result in savings of more than $100 annually for every household in the province.
The National Building Code will come into effect across the province in 2018. That means new building will be much more energy efficient, resulting in cost savings over the life of the building.
The new Home Construction program provides up to $5,000 for the construction of energy efficient homes.
The cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use. Since 2008, efficiencyPEI has helped Islanders save more than $9 million on their energy bills.
This was accomplished through over $16 million in grants and loans to residential clients, a free weatherization service to low-income Islanders to better insulate their homes and the provision of information, assistance and advice to residents and businesses on reducing energy consumption. Because of these and other actions, Islanders are saving millions of dollars every year.
efficiencyPEI is now offering newly increased rebates for residential homes for equipment such as heat pumps, boilers and heaters, biomass heat and hot water heaters.
Prince Edward Island is the first province in Canada to provide a new online tool to help Islanders identify ways to lower their energy costs.
We are committed to clean, renewable energy to make us more energy self-sufficient and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We generate 25 per cent of our electricity from wind, the second highest percentage of any jurisdiction in the world.
We know that Islanders have concerns about energy costs. That is why we are working with them to keep energy costs as low as we can.
- Paula Biggar is P.E.I.’s minister of transportation, infrastructure and energy
