Federal government spends $11.8M for smart grid technology in Sault Ste. Marie
SAULT STE MARIE -
PUC Distribution Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie is receiving $11.8 million from the federal government to invest in infrastructure.
The MP for the riding, Terry Sheehan, made the announcement on Monday.
The money will go to the utilities smart grid project.
"This smart grid project offers a glimpse into our clean energy future and represents a new wave of economic activity for the region," Sheehan said.
"Along with job creation, new industries will be attracted to a modern grid, all while helping the environment."
His office says the investment will allow the utility to reduce outages, provide more information to customers to help make smarter electricity use choices and offer more services.
"This is an innovative project that makes Sault Ste. Marie a leader," mayor Christian Provenzano said.
"We will be the first city in our country to implement a community-wide smart grid. Once it is complete, the smart grid will make our energy infrastructure more reliable, reduce energy loss and lead to a more innovative economy for our community."
The project will also create 140 new jobs.
"As a community-focused utility, we are always looking for innovative ways to help our customers save money and reduce their carbon footprint," Rob Brewster, president and CEO of PUC Distribution said.
"The investment the government has made in our community will not only help modernize our city's electrical distribution system [as] once the project is complete, Sault Ste. Marie will have access to an electricity grid that can handle the growing demands of a city in the 21st century."
Related News
Canada could be electric, connected and clean — if it chooses
TORONTO - So, how do we get there?
We're already on our way.
The final weeks of 2016 delivered some progress, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and premiers of 11 of the 13 provinces and territories negotiated a new national climate plan. The deal is a game changer. It marks the moment that Canada stopped arguing about whether to tackle climate change and started figuring out how we're going to get there.
We can each be part of the solution by reducing the amount of energy we use, making sure our homes and workplaces are well insulated and choosing energy…