Following the electrical outage that began on July 7, Grand Manan and Campobello islands are still relying on the Grand Manan generating station for power, since the damage to the undersea cable is not repairable, according to NB Power spokesman Marc Belliveau. NB Power will be transporting seven diesel generators to Grand Manan and three to Campobello to provide electricity while a new cable is being installed. Belliveau says they will be placed "in locations that will minimize noise and will not impact the residents in the community or the aesthetics of the islands."
     NB Power was already in the process of replacing the 40‑year-old undersea cable, with the new one expected to be laid in August. The $30 million project is going according to plan, and the new cable, which took nine months to manufacture, is now complete.
      Grand Manan Mayor Dennis Greene says he understands the generators will provide 1.5 megawatts apiece and will be located near the old pulp road in the middle of the island. They use less fuel than the island's generating station, known as "the jet," so they will become the primary power source, with the jet as backup. "We have backup for the backup," Greene says, which the village has been requesting for some time, but he was unsure if they would remain as a permanent alternative.
     Belliveau confirms the generators are a temporary installation. They are more efficient than the jet, especially at low loads. As to the cost, he says, "We certainly will keep track of cost, but it's difficult to give a precise amount on diesel use and cost until they are no longer in use and a final calculation on amounts is done." Greene says the jet used three trucks of diesel -- 90,000 liters -- per day in cold weather, and says as far as he knows, similar quantities are being trucked to the island now.

Hurry up and wait
    A weird consequence of the generator power that had some residents wondering if they were losing their minds is digital clocks are running faster. Many are picking up a few minutes per day, and people have had to set them back regularly. Those familiar with home and RV generators will have encountered the phenomenon. Small generators not as closely regulated as a power company's may run a little faster than the standard 60 Hz, and the altered frequency causes clocks to run fast. Belliveau says the jet was running at 60.4 Hz, and it poses no risk to electronics or appliances.
     "The generators will be there in a week or so," he says, "but need to be hooked up to the lines of course. It's going to depend on how well the travelling time [and] hook-up goes."