Changes to P.E.I.'s energy-saving incentives get mixed reactions

Businesses have some mixed opinions about the changes being made to Prince Edward Island's provincial energy incentives and rebates. 

The province announced changes to its Net Zero and efficiencyPEI rebates on Thursday, after it paused accepting new applications for some programs earlier in the year. 

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed to see the rebates for the industry we work in halved," said Steve Howard, the owner of Renewable Lifestyles, a P.E.I. company that specializes in solar electricity products, like solar panels. 

"But that's the reality of things. When these rebates come out, you can't expect them to be around forever," he said. 

The province's solar panel rebate offer was paused in February, with no new applications being taken. 

It has been reactivated, but the amount of money Islanders can get for installing an array of solar panels to power their homes is being capped at $5,000 — down from the previous $10,000. 

Howard said he expected the rebates to decrease over time, but his main complaint about the change is how the province communicated it. 

"The real headscratcher is that… this workforce that is capable of installing and transitioning to these green technologies... was just put at risk by the way that they suddenly stopped the rebates, the timing of those rebates," he said.

If the change had been made at the end of the installation season, with proper notice given ahead of time, people could have planned ahead, he said. 

P.E.I.'s energy-saving rebate changes will let infrastructure catch up by slowing demand, some say

2 days ago

Duration 2:17

A company in P.E.I.'s solar panel industry says the province is putting jobs at risk by cutting a homeowner rebate in half. But some, like Trevor Leeco of Centennial Nissan (shown) say it's good to put the brakes on encouraging the sale of heat pumps and electric cars, at least until the Island charging network and power grid catch up with demand. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins reports.

EV incentives down

Electric vehicle rebates are among the incentives set to be reduced, but there is still some money to be claimed. 

For Trevor Leeco, the general manager of Centennial Nissan in Charlottetown, the fact that there is still a rebate at all is good news. 

"We're very lucky. Some of the other provinces have done away with it altogether," Leeco said. 

"We were also very fortunate that we did get a little notice, compared to when the federal one went away… So we had a little bit of time to prepare." 

Leeco said he doesn't expect EV sales to drop dramatically because of the change, but he thinks slowing consumer uptake could be a good thing. 

"The infrastructure for us to all be electric is not there yet, so I think slower is probably better. And this may slow the pace slightly." 

Lowering pressure on the grid 

Provincial incentives for heat pump installation are down, too. But rebates on adding home insulation and replacing windows and doors are set to increase. 

While that could put more pressure on the construction industry, it could also reduce the load on the electricity grid in the short term, said Sam Sanderson, the executive director of the Construction Association of P.E.I. and a member of the Net-Zero Advisory Council. 

"[Heat pumps] are a great source of heat, a great source of cooling. But they're also adding, you know, huge pressure on our electrical grid," he said. 

"Every heat pump we install… adds a little bit more pressure on the demand for power." 

Insulation incentives could be an opportunity for education, Sanderson said, as more people look into what's actually inside their walls, and how that leads to their home losing heat in the winter and letting heat in during the summer.

The province said it will keep an eye on the programs it has to make sure they're working. 

A re-evaluation will take place in two years, Environment, Energy and Climate Action Minister Gilles Arsenault said.