Electrical Commissioning In Industrial Power Systems
Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.
- Live Online
- 12 hours Instructor-led
- Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$599
Coupon Price:
$499
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
Summerland solar power project will provide electricity
Summerland Solar+Storage Project brings renewable energy to a municipal utility with photovoltaic panels and battery…
View more
Scientists generate 'electricity from thin air.' Humidity could be a boundless source of energy.
Air Humidity Energy Harvesting converts thin air into clean electricity using air-gen devices with nanopores,…
View more
Atlantic grids, forestry, coastlines need rethink in era of intense storms: experts
Atlantic Canada Hurricane Resilience focuses on climate change adaptation: grid hardening, burying lines, coastline resiliency…
View more
The German economy used to be the envy of the world. What happened?
Germany's Economic Downturn reflects an energy crisis, deindustrialization risks, export weakness, and manufacturing stress, amid…
View more
Omnidian Acquires Australia's Solar Service Guys to Expand Global Reach
Omnidian Acquisition of Solar Service Guys accelerates global expansion in renewable energy, enhancing solar maintenance…
View more
Winter Storm Leaves Many In Texas Without Power And Water
Texas Power Grid Crisis strains ERCOT as extreme cold, ice storms, and heavy snow trigger…
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
