NFPA 70E Training
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 6 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$199
Coupon Price:
$149
Maritime Electric Power Outage disrupted 23,000 homes as submarine cables neared capacity, triggering grid protection and load shedding; wind power from Eastern Kings Wind Farm offset oil-fired generation during emergency repairs and substation investigation.
What This Means
A 3.5-hour PEI grid event hit 23,000 homes amid cable limits; an insulator failure under probe; 30 MW wind stabilized.
- Outage began at 6 p.m., lasted about 3.5 hours
- Up to 23,000 households lost electricity on PEI
- Cable near capacity forced partial grid shutdown to protect intertie
- 30 MW from Eastern Kings Wind Farm avoided more oil-fired units
- Province lobbying Ottawa for funding for a new submarine cable
A broken insulator at the Bedeque substation shut down one of the two cables that carries electricity to PEI from the mainland, leaving thousands without electricity.
The problem started at 6 p.m. and took about 3.5 hours for Maritime Electric to repair. At one point 23,000 households were without electricity.
While Maritime Electric has oil-fired generators on the Island, it is heavily reliant on the far less expensive power it can import via two cables under the Northumberland Strait, even as Maine power proposals shape regional supply. Those cables are close to capacity, and when one goes down, the electricity grid goes into a partial shutdown to protect the remaining cable.
"One of the things that can damage that type of equipment is overloading it, especially as peak demand shifts to January in colder months," said Maritime Electric vice-president of corporate planning and energy supply John Gaudet.
"We want to make sure that we take care of them the best we can."
Maritime Electric was able to provide 30 MW of power from the Eastern Kings Wind Farm, even as PEI wind projects face criticism, saving it from firing up more generators.
"It just was good fortune that the wind was blowing," said Gaudet.
"It was a classic example of wind replacing oil, even as PEI's wind plan faces uncertainty today."
The cables to the mainland were installed in 1977. At the time, either one could supply the entire province's needs, but that is no longer the case.
The province has been lobbying the federal government for funding for a new cable to the mainland, in part to export Atlantic wind power produced on the Island.
Maritime Electric is continuing to investigate why the insulator at the Bedeque substation failed.
Related News
Related News
End of an Era: UK's Last Coal Power Station Goes Offline
UK Coal-Free Energy Transition highlights the West Burton A closure, accelerating renewable energy, wind, solar,…
View more
First Nuclear Reactors Built in 30 Years Take Shape at Georgia Power Plant
Vogtle Units 3 and 4 are Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors under construction in Waynesboro, Georgia,…
View more
COVID-19 crisis shows need to keep electricity options open, says Birol
Electricity Security and Firm Capacity underpin reliable supply, balancing variable renewables with grid flexibility via…
View more
Why electric buses haven't taken over the world—yet
Electric Buses reduce urban emissions and noise, but require charging infrastructure, grid upgrades, and depot…
View more
New England's solar growth is creating tension over who pays for grid upgrades
New England Solar Interconnection Costs highlight distributed generation strains, transmission charges, distribution upgrades, and DAF…
View more
Effort to make Philippines among best power grids in Asia
NGCP-SGCC Partnership drives transmission grid modernization in the Philippines, boosting high-voltage capacity, reliability, and resilience,…
View more
Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter
Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE
Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
- Timely insights from industry experts
- Practical solutions T&D engineers
- Free access to every issue
