What Natural Resources Does Prince Edward Island (PEI) Have in Abundance?

Key Takeaways

Seafood Powerhouse: PEI's fisheries and aquaculture sector generates more than $900 million in economic activity and supports over 8,000 jobs.
Potato Province: PEI is Canada’s potato king, with a booming export industry worth $930 million internationally in 2025.
Renewable Leader: More than 99% of PEI's on-island electricity is generated from renewable sources, making it a national and global leader in wind power.

--------------------------

Prince Edward Island (PEI) may be the smallest province in Canada by population and land area, but it is absolutely rich in natural resources! Renowned for its beautiful beaches, nutrient-dense red soil, prosperous agricultural / seafood sector, and renewable wind energy, natural resources contribute significantly to the quality of life enjoyed by Canadians living in PEI.

Home to just a few hundred thousand people, the island province accounts for a significant share of Canada’s seafood production and is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to renewables, which account for more than 99% its power generation.

Below, we take a look at the natural resources PEI has in abundance, and dive deeper into their positive impacts for Prince Edward Islanders and Canadians at large. Also see:

what natural resources does prince edward island have in Canada

Fisheries & Aquaculture in PEI

Prince Edward Island’s aquaculture sector is one of the most productive and economically important in all of Atlantic Canada. The island's lobster fishing industry is its most prominent, with 1,219 licensed PEI lobster fishers landing nearly 47 million pounds (lbs) in 2024, valued at nearly $359 million – a 7% increase over the prior year ^[1].

With more than 4,200 commercial fishermen operating 1,151 inshore vessels, the 2024 season produced nearly 112 million lbs of combined landings, valued at more than $454 million ^[1]. And with just a small fraction of Canada’s total population, PEI accounts for 15% of Canadian lobster production and 18% of national aquaculture production, making its hardworking coastal fishers a cornerstone of the national seafood supply ^[1].

The island also produces an extraordinary 80% of all Canadian mussels and 26% of total oyster production. Across the province, you’ll find 41 licensed processing facilities which support approximately 1,000 processing workers who keep the supply chain moving from the water to markets around the world ^[1].

The broader economic footprint of PEI's fisheries and aquaculture sector extends well beyond the docks and processing floors. Provincially, it contributed over $908 million to PEI's economy in 2024, ranking as the third-largest economic industry on the island behind only agriculture and tourism ^[1]. PEI's fisheries and aquaculture industry is a shining example of how Canada's coastal natural resources deliver lasting prosperity and put food on the table for Canadians across the Atlantic.

Farming & Agriculture in PEI

It may be Canada's smallest province, but PEI’s farming and agricultural sector is anything but small in impact. The island's 1,195 farms span 504,674 acres – representing roughly 36% of PEI's total land area – making agriculture one of the most visible and defining economic sectors ^[2]. In 2025, PEI's total farm cash receipts reached an all-time high of nearly $843 million, a 1.6% increase over 2024 and a remarkable achievement for a province whose agricultural footprint continues to punch well above its geographic weight ^[3].

Potatoes are, and have always been, the heart of PEI's agricultural identity. First introduced to the island in 1758 and exported for the first time in 1827 ^[2], the potato remains PEI's dominant crop by a wide margin, with 85,300 acres seeded and production reaching nearly 26 million hundredweight (Cwt) in 2024. Potato receipts totalled more than $399 million in 2025, accounting for the lion's share of total crop receipts of $537.4 million ^[3]. On the export side, PEI's potato sector is a global force: in 2024, the province exported more than $935 million in potatoes and potato products internationally ^[2].

Beyond potatoes, PEI farmers also grow a diverse range of other crops, with more than $41 million in grain receipts, over $21 million for fresh fruits, and $15.4 million in fresh field vegetables in 2025 ^[2]. Livestock also contributes significantly to the AG sector, with receipts reaching an all-time high of $218.3 million in 2025 – the fifth consecutive year of growth ^[3]. Dairy and cattle/calf receipts accounted for the largest shares of those receipts, at $114.7 million and $66.8 million, respectively ^[3].

From its iconic red-soiled potato fields to its thriving dairy barns and expanding fruit and vegetable operations, PEI's agriculture sector is a model of productivity and resilience – contributing massively to the Canadian economy and doing its part to feed the world.

Renewables in PEI

Prince Edward Island is one of Canada's most dominant renewable energy success stories on a per capita basis, a remarkable achievement for a small island province. PEI currently has 203 megawatts (MW) of installed wind generation capacity spread across its wind farms, with an additional 31 MW of installed solar capacity and 12.4 MW of biomass capacity rounding out its on-island renewable portfolio ^[4]. Of the electricity actually generated on the island, an extraordinary 99.1% comes from renewable sources, with wind as the dominant driver.

Notably, the Eastern Kings Wind Farm recently completed its Phase II expansion, doubling its total capacity to 30 MW ^[5]. Solar is also experiencing rapid growth on the Island, with the City of Summerside's Sunbank Solar Farm, a 21.6 MW facility paired with a 10 MW/20 MWh battery storage system, supplying approximately 25% of the city's electricity needs ^[5].

While PEI's power generation is nearly 100% renewable, the full picture of Island energy is more nuanced. PEI's average electrical demand is less than 300 MW, with a system peak of approximately 320 MW recorded in 2022 and a record peak of 393 MW during the February 2023 polar vortex ^[5]. To meet this demand, PEI currently imports approximately 85% of its total electricity consumption from neighbouring New Brunswick via two sets of submarine cables owned by the provincially-operated PEI Energy Corporation, with more than with over 80% of those New Brunswick imports coming from nuclear and hydroelectricity ^[5].

From its spinning turbines on the North Cape to the solar panels multiplying across Island rooftops, PEI is proof that small provinces can be energy powerhouses too.

Join Us Today!

Prince Edward Island proves that great things truly do come in small packages. From the lobster boats dotting its coastline at dawn, to the rolling red-soiled potato fields that feed millions of Canadians, to the wind turbines spinning renewable power into Island homes, PEI's natural resource sectors are a model of productivity, resilience, and innovation.

Canada's smallest province consistently punches above its weight, contributing immensely to the national economy, sustaining thousands of good-paying jobs, and leading the country in everything from lobster farming to renewable energy generation. Supporting natural resource development in PEI isn't just good for islanders – it's good for all of Canada.

Join us today on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to learn why the world needs more Canadian natural resources on global markets and how this benefits our families!