Summerside wind farm briefly powers entire city

The new wind turbines in Summerside have been working well, the western P.E.I. city's chief administrative officer says.

As of midnight Wednesday night, three of the four machines, which went online this week, were synchronized with the electricity grid and producing power, Terry Murphysaid.

The city's entire electricity needs were satisfied by wind energy for six hours overnight, Murphy said an achievement that exceeds the city's expectations for the turbines.

He said the city will be happy if it getsa thirdof its electricity annuallyfrom wind, on average. Winter, withits fierce air currents, is the best time of year to createaeolian energy.

Construction began on the four 80-metre-high turbines over the summer in the city's St. Eleanors neighbourhood. Costing $30 million total,they are designed to generate 12 megawatts of power.

Some local residents ardently opposed the wind farm, saying it would cut into their property values, create noise andpose possiblehealth risks.