Skinners Pond Transmission Line

pre-construction

The project consists of the design and construction of a new 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line measuring 106 kilometers (km) from Sherbrooke to Tignish. The proposed transmission line will consist of related infrastructure for future generation of wind energy which is expected to increase the proportion of Prince Edward Island’s electricity generated by wind energy from 24% to 30%. Currently, there is a 69 kV transmission line in the area; however the lack of sufficient transmission infrastructure has been a roadblock to additional wind energy development in the area. The scope of the work includes both the design and construction of a substation at Tignish (138 & 69kV), Tignish voltage control, transmission lines from Tignish to Wellington and Slemon Park to Sherbrooke, upgrades to the existing Sherbrooke substation, a connection at the existing O’Leary substation, and fibre costs. The project aims to provide increased capacity to manage additional renewable wind energy, and to maximize wind production in western Prince Edward Island. The current levels of megawatt (MW) production is zero (0.0). The project will provide an additional 30 MW in 2020 and a further 40 MW in 2025 to generate an estimated 140,000 MW of renewable energy. The benefits of expanding the capacity to manage wind power include access to an affordable source of energy that provides price certainty in the future; a measure of self-sufficiency, and environmental stewardship. The project will lessen the losses from existing wind farms as well as adding more capacity for future wind farms.