$60M wind farm will lower power price: energy minister

Prince Edward Islands Energy Minister Wes Sheridan promises the Hermanville wind farm, which is rapidly coming to completion,will bring down the price for power customers on the Island.

Sheridan said the $60-million investment is good for P.E.I.

The price we get this electricity at is significantly below what we pay for our provider, in this case it's New Brunswick for the rest of our power, so this brings our price down per kilowatts for all customers on P.E.I.

The turbines should be fully operational within a week.

The ten wind turbines are the largest in North America. While they are owned by the provincethrough the PEI Energy Corporation, they will be operated for the next 15 years through an agreement with AccionaWindpower, the company that manufactured them.

The 92-metre tall turbines are expected to generate 25 per cent more power annually compared to the turbines currently operating. Their rotors are larger, about 116 metres across compared to the 90 metre wide rotors on the East Point turbines.

Work on the wind farm began in the spring. It's slightly under budget, but about two weeks behind schedule.