Latest news with #DanKutcher
CBC
16-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
City of Summerside's months-long power struggle is far from over, says mayor
Summerside mayor talks planning for the future, and keeping the city's lights on 16 hours ago Duration 7:13 Summerside's mayor says the city's electricity challenges are far from resolved. P.E.I.'s second-largest city, which operates its own utility, faced a series of power disruptions this winter. Summerside Electric generates about 60 per cent of its electricity through renewable sources like solar and wind, but it still relies on Maritime Electric's transmission grid for power that the smaller utility buys from New Brunswick. A failure at Maritime Electric's Sherbrooke substation, located just north of the city, led to significant power challenges in February. As a result, residents were asked to conserve electricity and a mobile transformer had to be brought in from Newfoundland to stabilize the system. "The Band-Aid has been put on, and the temporary transformer on wheels is there, and things are in place," Mayor Dan Kutcher told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin. "But the fundamentals still need fixing." Kutcher said he has not yet had meeting he was promised with P.E.I. Energy Minister Gilles Arsenault and Maritime Electric officials. But he said the city has had discussions with Arsenault and was told that a meeting would take place after the spring sitting of the P.E.I. Legislature. As of Friday morning, the MLAs were still on the job at the Legislative Assembly in Charlottetown. The city has also met at the executive level with Maritime Electric, he added. Come wintertime, we're gonna be vulnerable again... We can't be going through that time and again. Energy security is paramount to everything. — Dan Kutcher "We do know that come wintertime, we're gonna be vulnerable again. And I would also say that we have some concerns as well with Maritime Electric. There are joint concerns... some are on-Island and some are off-Island. "So it's really important that we get to the table and figure out a clear path because we can't be going through that time and again. Energy security is paramount to everything." The power struggle in Summerside was also raised in the provincial legislature last month, with MLAs from all three parties expressing concern. Arsenault has said in the past that a review aimed at improving the reliability and affordability of Prince Edward Island's energy grid would be released this month. The minister also confirmed the province's energy system blueprint will be released later this year, setting out a "comprehensive strategy" for the next 10 years.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Summerside mayor talks planning for the future, and keeping the city's lights on
Mayor Dan Kutcher outlined Summerside council's three main priorities for the coming year in his annual state-of-the-city address last week. CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin sits down with Kutcher to talk about those goals, and the latest on the city's power struggles with Maritime Electric.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Attainable housing, downtown rebirth focus of Summerside's state-of-the-city address
Social Sharing Summerside's mayor outlined three main council priorities for the coming year in the annual state of the city address Tuesday. Those include increasing the amount of attainable housing; fostering a more healthy, inclusive and creative city; and continuing to transform Summerside's downtown core. "We are writing a new chapter in our history," Mayor Dan Kutcher said during the address at Credit Union Place. "Our city is transforming in new, interesting ways. Our deservedly proud history and solid foundation has prepared us for this moment in time." Kutcher noted the changes made earlier this year to the city's official plan, which created a new zoning bylaw to diversify the types of homes that could be built in Summerside. He said those changes will make it easier for younger people to buy or rent homes at an earlier age, while providing older adults with a wider range of affordable and accessible housing options. Meanwhile, there's a lot of building underway in Summerside's downtown. The five-storey, $20-million Regent at the corner of Water and Summer streets is expected to provide 40 housing units alongside commercial space. Construction is also underway on The Boardwalk, a new luxury residential and mixed-use development at 68 Water St. Next month, work will be completed on transforming the Shipyard Market into a year-round restaurant. 'We are on the move here' Tuesday morning, the city also announced more details on another major project: the Silver Fox Entertainment Complex, which Summerside agreed to buy earlier this year and is currently renovating. WATCH | 'The mood is pretty exciting': City of Summerside will be the Silver Fox's new owner: 'The mood is pretty exciting': City of Summerside will be the Silver Fox's new owner 2 months ago Duration 2:03 The City of Summerside has agreed to take over the Silver Fox building, which contains the city's only curling club plus a marina and restaurant. As CBC's Steve Bruce reports, there are some tough decisions ahead about the money-losing facility — but also some opportunities for the city. Montague-based Bogside Brewing will take over food and beverage operations at the Fox, while Crafters Smokehouse and Famous Peppers Pizzeria are also set to move into the facility. The city is aiming to have that venue begin a phased opening later this year. Amid all the new builds, Coun. Cory Snow said work is also underway to remove unsightly and dangerous abandoned houses and commercial buildings. He said council will introduce a new vacant premises bylaw this summer that will make it easier to tear down those buildings. "People want to do business these days in Summerside. As our city grows, so do the opportunities and experiences available to our residents," Snow said. "It is great to see investment coming into Summerside from across P.E.I., because we are on the move here."
Miami Herald
12-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
BluWave-ai and the City of Summerside, PEI Partner to Deploy AI for Renewable Energy Management in Inter-Provincial Collaboration Boosting Canadian Exports
Seven Year Partnership Integrates AI into its Wind, Solar, and Battery Storage Systems Enabling Product Innovation for Live Operations and Decarbonization Globally OTTAWA, ONTARIO / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Buy Canadian has been promoted at all levels of Canadian government following the recent trade tensions with the United States of America. A shining example of an innovative "Buy Canadian" collaboration that has been going strong for years before any talk of US tariffs can be found in Prince Edward Island between the City of Summerside and BluWave-ai. Since 2018, BluWave-ai has partnered with the City of Summerside deploying the first ever automated real-time AI energy dispatch in a Canadian energy utility, developing homegrown AI technology to drive the global energy transition forward, enabling wins across the world in Japan, India, UAE, Europe, and the USA. The City of Summerside, an early adopter of BluWave-ai products, has been applying artificial intelligence to the energy utility's mix of renewable energy, making groundbreaking steps in the global energy transition since 2018. This collaboration has resulted in a commercial turnover in excess of $6M between direct project work, federal project funding wins, and foreign direct investment from US based investors. This inter-provincial collaboration between Ontario and PEI resulted in: Canada's first AI-driven real-time energy dispatch system (2019)The launch of the Canadian Smart Grid AI Center of Excellence in Summerside (2022)North America's first 100% time-shifted solar-powered concert (2022)Over $6.5 million in direct project revenue, federal funding wins, and foreign investment from U.S. markets "At a time where 'Buy Canadian' is more than a slogan, it is crucial that government, private sector, and all stakeholders in Canada come together to support Canadian-made technology and AI innovations," said Devashish Paul, CEO of BluWave-ai. "Our pioneering inter-provincial collaboration is a shining example of how breaking siloes between provinces can power innovation in the energy sector and drive local economic growth. We must double down on our support of homegrown Canadian tech if we are to remain competitive on the world stage in these uncertain times." "Our collaboration with BluWave-ai in 2019, and then opening the Canadian Smart Grid AI Center of Excellence in 2022, has attracted high caliber jobs to the City of Summerside," said Dan Kutcher, Mayor of Summerside, "This partnership has strengthened our 'Buy Canadian' outlook with but also it has been a substantial collaboration by our city to launch companies for the AI and renewable energy economy of the future which is key to the prosperity of all regions that don't produce their oil." "Ottawa is home to world-class innovators who are creating transformative solutions with global impact," said Sonya Shorey, President & CEO of Invest Ottawa. "BluWave-ai exemplifies the power of homegrown innovation-leveraging cutting-edge AI to achieve a triple bottom line impact: economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability. We are proud to collaborate with BlueWave-ai as they scale, attract investment, and take on the world from Canada's capital. Their success is a testament to Ottawa's position as a leading global hub for AI, cleantech, and entrepreneurship." BluWave-ai's AI-powered SaaS solutions help electricity utilities, independent power producers, and system operators optimize cost, carbon footprint, and reliability in real-time. Backed by global investors, BluWave-ai has raised over $16 million, including a $9.5 million Series A round, further solidifying Ottawa's position as a global hub for AI and clean energy innovation. BluWave-ai has been able to thrive and win export market customers from Japan, India, Dubai, Scotland and the US electricity markets as a result of the Summerside partnership which was the original partner to build in Canada who bought Canadian from day one. BluWave-ai products that resulted from this partnership include: Smart Grid OptimizerEV EverywhereEV Fleet Orchestrator If you are a Canadian municipality or electricity utility looking to source Canadian solutions for your software needs, please contact us: info@ SOURCE: BluWave-ai press release
Associated Press
12-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
BluWave-ai and the City of Summerside, PEI Partner to Deploy AI for Renewable Energy Management in Inter-Provincial Collaboration Boosting Canadian Exports
Seven Year Partnership Integrates AI into its Wind, Solar, and Battery Storage Systems Enabling Product Innovation for Live Operations and Decarbonization Globally OTTAWA, ONTARIO / ACCESS Newswire / March 12, 2025 / Buy Canadian has been promoted at all levels of Canadian government following the recent trade tensions with the United States of America. A shining example of an innovative 'Buy Canadian' collaboration that has been going strong for years before any talk of US tariffs can be found in Prince Edward Island between the City of Summerside and Canadian BluWave Since 2018, BluWave-ai has partnered with the City of Summerside deploying the first ever automated real-time AI energy dispatch in a Canadian energy utility, developing homegrown AI technology to drive the global energy transition forward, enabling wins across the world in Japan, India, UAE, Europe, and the USA. The City of Summerside, an early adopter of BluWave-ai products, has been applying artificial intelligence to the energy utility's mix of renewable energy, making groundbreaking steps in the global energy transition since 2018. This collaboration has resulted in a commercial turnover in excess of $6M between direct project work, federal project funding wins, and foreign direct investment from US based investors. This inter-provincial collaboration between Ontario and PEI resulted in: 'At a time where 'Buy Canadian' is more than a slogan, it is crucial that government, private sector, and all stakeholders in Canada come together to support Canadian-made technology and AI innovations,' said Devashish Paul, CEO of BluWave-ai. 'Our pioneering inter-provincial collaboration is a shining example of how breaking siloes between provinces can power innovation in the energy sector and drive local economic growth. We must double down on our support of homegrown Canadian tech if we are to remain competitive on the world stage in these uncertain times.' 'Our collaboration with BluWave-ai in 2019, and then opening the Canadian Smart Grid AI Center of Excellence in 2022, has attracted high caliber jobs to the City of Summerside,' said Dan Kutcher, Mayor of Summerside, 'This partnership has strengthened our 'Buy Canadian' outlook with but also it has been a substantial collaboration by our city to launch companies for the AI and renewable energy economy of the future which is key to the prosperity of all regions that don't produce their oil.' 'Ottawa is home to world-class innovators who are creating transformative solutions with global impact,' said Sonya Shorey, President & CEO of Invest Ottawa. 'BluWave-ai exemplifies the power of homegrown innovation-leveraging cutting-edge AI to achieve a triple bottom line impact: economic growth, social progress, and environmental sustainability. We are proud to collaborate with BlueWave-ai as they scale, attract investment, and take on the world from Canada's capital. Their success is a testament to Ottawa's position as a leading global hub for AI, cleantech, and entrepreneurship.' BluWave-ai's AI-powered SaaS solutions help electricity utilities, independent power producers, and system operators optimize cost, carbon footprint, and reliability in real-time. Backed by global investors, BluWave-ai has raised over $16 million, including a $9.5 million Series A round, further solidifying Ottawa's position as a global hub for AI and clean energy innovation. BluWave-ai has been able to thrive and win export market customers from Japan, India, Dubai, Scotland and the US electricity markets as a result of the Summerside partnership which was the original partner to build in Canada who bought Canadian from day one.
