Yesterday I was thrilled to announce an $11.8-million investment for PUC Distribution Inc.’s smart grid project in Sault Ste. Marie. This project will create 140 good, middle-class jobs and lower the cost of generating and distributing power to customers. PUC Distribution Inc., our local power distribution utility, has formed a private-public financing partnership that will use federal funding to improve the Sault Ste. Marie network system.
“This smart grid project offers a glimpse into our clean energy future and represents a new wave of economic activity for the region. Along with job creation, new industries will be attracted to a modern grid, all while helping the environment
Smarter electric networks mean lower electricity costs for Canadian homes and businesses. Customers will benefit from better reliability, efficiency and resiliency of their local electric network, at no increased cost. Further, this project will help utilities broaden their service offerings to clients, reduce outages and provide more information to enable customers to make smarter electricity use choices.
Improvements in network quality will also produce new economic opportunities for the city, as it could attract the interest of a range of industries associated with Canada’s clean energy sector. This includes manufacturing, e-commerce, telecommunications services and data centres.
This project supports the greater use of clean power by improving the community’s electric network in order to accommodate new energy sources, including rooftop solar. This will allow more Canadians to produce their own clean power and reduce pollution.
Funding for the project comes from the Smart Grid Program, which is part of the Government of Canada’s more than $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.
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