The Government of Canada announced late last week a $2.7-million investment in Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated to support the modernization is its electricity distribution system.
Among those on hand for the announcement were St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle and Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati. Bittle made the announcement on behalf of Tim Hodson, minister of energy and natural resources.
According to the federal government, the $2.7 million is meant to help Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated deploy advanced smart grid technologies to improve reliability, enhance outage response and restoration, and strengthen its ability to meet growing electricity needs.
Bittle noted that Canada will need double the amount of electricity by 2050 and cleaner energy investments are a key part of achieving that goal.
“Our government is investing in Niagara’s energy future,” said Bittle. “By supporting Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated’s new smart grid development, we’re helping to ensure a more flexible, reliable and affordable power grid for families and businesses.”
“Supporting the transition toward a cleaner electricity system will strengthen our economy, our environment and our future,” Bittle added.
The $2.7-million investment is being made through Natural Resources Canada’s Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program. Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated will also invest $3.4 million to support the effort.
Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated’s new smart grid equipment will deploy automated reclosers at identified sites in the Niagara area; configure and deploy fault location, isolation and service restoration software to increase reliability in the region; and develop and implement interfaces to bridge outage management systems and supervisory control and data acquisition systems to deploy new smart grid devices and software.
The federal government says the investment will modernize how electricity is managed and distributed in Niagara and St. Catharines, reduce emissions, and prepare the region to meet rising electricity needs.
Igor Rusic, President and Chief Executive Officer of Niagara Peninsula Energy Incorporated, released a statement celebrating the federal government’s announcement.
“Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc. is grateful to the Government of Canada and Natural Resources Canada for their investment in our organization,” said Rusic. “This support will accelerate work to provide a more flexible and intelligent distribution network, improving outage response times and reducing operational costs.”
“We are pleased to see this investment supporting a project that will have a positive impact on our local communities,” Rusic added.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
