Minister Currie announced a $7.8 Million expansion of the North Cape Wind Farm, which will see the Wind Farm double in size to produce over 10 megawatts of green power.

The Minister said the announcement is reflective of feedback gained during our renewable energy meetings held earlier throughout the province. "Our record on wind energy is something that Islanders are proud of. Prince Edward Island is a leader in the promotion and production of wind energy because Islanders support the harvesting of clean, renewable energy in the province," said the Minister.

The PEI Energy Corporation will install eight new Vestas V-47 turbines to the site, bringing the total capacity of the facility to 10.56 MW, or enough energy to provide electricity for almost 5,000 homes in the province. When the project is completed, the province will be successful at eliminating close to 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Hon. Gail Shea, Minister for Transportation and Public Works and MLA for Tignish-Deblois, noted the expansion at the site should also continue to boost the tourism economy in the area. She said visitations to the site have dramatically increased over the past two years and hopes the trend continues.

"The turbines are a huge attraction. Combined with the new interpretive centre, the construction of North America's largest wind turbine (Vestas V-90 prototype) and other facilities, North Cape is quickly becoming a must-see destination for tourists in our province," said Minister Shea.

Work on the site is expected to begin this week and should be completed by early December.

Minister Currie also announced the province plans to introduce legislation this fall granting Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) comprehensive regulatory authority over Maritime Electric Company Ltd. Maritime Electric Company Ltd. has not been regulated by an independent body since the removal of IRAC from the process in 1994.

Minister Currie said the decision to bring IRAC back into the process reflects findings from an consultant's report, which Executive Council commissioned earlier this year. The report provided an assessment on the regulatory model used in PEI compared to other jurisdictions in North America.

"This is an important step in ensuring Islanders are properly protected and that adequate service is maintained at the lowest possible cost," said the Minister. "The legislation we plan to take forward will bring forth an important level of protection for consumers."