PEI Regional Energy and Resource Table Collaboration Framework and Associated Projects Receiving Federal Funding: Backgrounder

The Canada-Prince Edward Island Regional Energy and Resource Table (Regional Table), a federal-provincial collaboration launched in 2022, supports PEI's ambitious goal of becoming Canada’s first net-zero province. The Regional Table works through government collaboration with Indigenous Partners and input from regional stakeholders.

The Collaboration Framework identifies three opportunity areas that have the potential to contribute significantly to building or expanding Prince Edward Island’s competitive advantage in a low-carbon economy:

• Clean Electricity and Energy Storage – Scaling up renewable energy production and storage to meet the province’s growing demand for clean energy.
• Clean Fuels – Accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources to power homes, businesses and industries.
• Clean Technology Innovation– Expanding innovation in technologies that support the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon future.

To support advancement of the three priorities listed above, the federal government is also announcing today four investments totalling $2.7 million in the following projects:

Project Name: Na'ku'set Park Capacity Building Project
Recipient: Maritime Electric

Location: Western PEI

Funding Amount: $1.8 million

Project Summary: Through its Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program, NRCan will provide $1.8 million of the $2.5-million cost for advancing Indigenous expertise and capacity building associated with Na’ku’set Park, which is a proposed 32 MW grid-tied, utility-scale solar and battery storage project in Western PEI. This initial funding for the project, which will be majority-owned by Lennox Island First Nation, in partnership with Maritime Electric, will focus on pre-development activities (including preliminary studies, consultations, expertise and training) as well as Indigenous economic development guidance, workforce strategies and the integration of Indigenous people into the proposed project.

Project Name: Mainland Transmission Connection Study

Recipient: Maritime Electric

Location: PEI

Funding Amount: $300,000

Project Summary: Through the Strategic Interties Predevelopment Program, Natural Resource Canada has provided $300,000 to Maritime Electric for a predevelopment study to inform optimal PEI- mainland transmission connections with New Brunswick .

Project Name: Holland College Energy Management

Recipient: Holland College

Location: Charlottetown and Summerside

Funding Amount: $307,000

Project Summary: NRCan will contribute $307,000 toward Holland College’s $442,000 project for implementing an efficient energy management system — in accordance with ISO 50001 standards — for 13 campus buildings. This project will help Holland College reduce its energy costs by improving its energy performance and provide a model for improving energy efficiency across Canada.

Project Name: PEI Home Energy Labelling Project

Recipient: Government of Prince Edward Island

Location: PEI

Funding Amount: $285,000

Project Summary: NRCan will contribute just over $285,000 toward the $383,100 cost of producing home energy labels, via virtual pre-retrofit assessments, for every home in PEI. The project will also provide updated home energy labels for 25 percent of homes sold annually. In addition, this project will create and maintain a live labelling system with digital building records for 100 percent of PEI homes.