Author: Josh McCulloch

Have you thanked a Lineworker lately?

If you haven’t, you can do so as part of National Lineworker appreciation day, celebrated yearly on July 10.

Severe weather events across the country are increasing in numbers and demonstrate the importance of Lineworkers and their role in keeping our lights on and restoring power safely and efficiently to Canadians across the country.

A perfect storm surprised most of Ontario, on Saturday during what is considered the first unofficial long weekend of summer. What Durham region presumed as a severe thunderstorm, was later confirmed as a Derecho ― defined as a string of thunderstorms that affected the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.

Oshawa Power teams are long-standing members of the community and are no stranger to storms – remember the ice storm of 2013?

The Q&A below highlights the impact and contribution of line workers during and after severe weather systems. According to Mike Weatherbee, Manager, Distribution Construction, his amazing team quickly assembled and formed a storm response plan to assess the damage, and get the city back online, with enough time left over to help fellow utilities afterwards.

Q&A

Q: What was different about this storm?

A: This storm was fast and furious – with winds up to 100km/h in the region and several tornadoes, this storm created extensive damage along a path that extended across the 1,000-kilometre corridor. The storm brought down power lines and trees across the region and left many upset and with damage unseen in the region for decades.

Q: What made the difference in your storm response?

A: The trickiest part of this storm was that it happened very quickly, and different impacts were felt across the affected regions.

Thankfully, we have a well-documented process in place to assess the damage. A senior team member activated the protocol as soon as the weather network alert went out and we immediately sent out teams to assess the damage and begin prioritizing vulnerable areas first (hospitals and seniors’ facilities) and then we work on populations with the largest amount of affected outages, mostly residential neighbourhoods.

Q: Did Oshawa have the same impact as other areas in Durham?

A: Oshawa had about 1/6 of its customer base out – roughly the same percentage of customers as other towns and cities. Thankfully, we have been actively updating our infrastructure to withstand severe storms, so our infrastructure was not as heavily damaged. As storms become more apparent, we are already preparing our grid for the future and consistently working to minimize outages with our Capital Rebuild Plan and Tree Trimming plans to keep areas safe.

Q: What are some things that residents can do to prepare for any of the dozen storms that are forecasted for this summer?

A: Preparation is the key to planning for emergencies and was key to our success for Oshawa Power and its residents to get back online quickly. Here are a few tips we use ourselves:

  • Resist the urge to move things. We understand that it can be jarring to see your property damaged after a storm, and the first instinct is to move trees off wires and cars. It’s dangerous. Leave it to the experts – call us. We work with tree contractors to move fallen trees.

  • Prepare for the stormy season. With climate change, meteorological predictions for storms are increasing. As a team, we all subscribe to weather network alerts – it’s fast and is a trigger to activate our storm response teams. It’s also important for everyone to have an emergency preparedness plan – visit our emergency preparedness site for ideas to develop your own plan and preparedness kit.

  • Trust that we are working as fast as we can. We know it never feels fast enough, but trust in the fact that the Oshawa Power teams are working as fast as they can, in a safe manner. Weather events such as this recent storm require multiple stakeholder collaborations including, municipalities, contractors for tree trimming and relief support, first responders and our own small number of crew members. During these events, our crews are working long and grueling 16-hour shifts in difficult conditions.

    • Oshawa Power will host their Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 23rd at 10:00 a.m.

    The meeting will be hosted at The Harmony Events Centre located at 1011 Bloor St. East, Oshawa.

    Please Note:

    Public Health Authority guidelines for physical distancing and gathering will apply, as well as any requirements put in place by the Harmony Events Centre.

    Please RSVP to ldafoe@opuc.on.ca.

    Oshawa, Ontario – As Oshawa Power crews wrap up restoration efforts in our city and travel to assist neighbouring utilities in bringing power back to families across the Durham Region and the rest of the province, we will continue to assess damages that occurred to our grid. By understanding the magnitude of the damage caused by Saturday’s storm, we can begin planning solutions to strengthen our grid against future inclement weather events.

    We understand that as our climate changes and weather events increase in frequency, resiliency (strength of our system) and redundancy (backup systems) are keys to keeping the lights on across Oshawa and minimizing restoration times during outage events.

    “With a strong emergency response plan and incredible crews who without hesitation worked around the clock, we were able to restore power quickly to Oshawa. We are incredibly proud of our crew, who now continue to assist neighbouring utilities. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the emergency service and municipal workers who helped keep Oshawa safe in the storm. Last but not least, we thank you, our customers, for your patience and encouragement as we dealt with numerous outages across the city.”

    – Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

    By the Numbers

    9,000+

    On Saturday afternoon, a little more than 9,000 Oshawa Power customers lost power to their homes or places of business — the most in a single outage event since December 2013’s ice storm. Within minutes, the Oshawa Power team began to assemble to plan for restoration efforts.

    99%

    Number of Oshawa Power customers who had power restored to their homes by Sunday evening.

    85+ km/h

    Wind speeds during the storm reached upwards of 85 kph as recorded at the Oshawa Executive Airport. The resiliency of the infrastructure put in place over careful planning of the last ten-twenty years lessened the impact and supported our restoration efforts.

    8.1 kilometres

    Length of overhead wires were replaced in the aftermath of the storm or approximately enough to stretch from Oshawa’s eastern border with Courtice to its western border with Whitby.

    25 poles

    Crews replaced 25 broken poles over the weekend.

    Thousands of additional materials

    Including insulator, sleeve, transformer, switch, arrestor, etc. repairs and replacements, our team used thousands of additional parts and materials in our restoration effort. Through careful inventory planning, Oshawa Power was prepared with all required materials.

    For more information on how we are preparing our grid for the future and consistently working to minimize outages, visit our Capital Rebuild Plan and Tree Trimming web pages.

    Media Contact

    Oshawa Power Communications

    Oshawa, Ontario – As of 6:00 p.m. today, Oshawa Power has responded to over 9,000 customers without power, resulting from yesterday’s devastating storm.

    Currently, we have approximately 350 customers without power, located mainly in the rural areas of north Oshawa. In addition, our crews and control staff have been working on a rotating 24/7 schedule to restore power with an estimated total return to service for late Sunday night.

    The storm’s heavy winds created a significant amount of tree and infrastructure damage to the electric grid and public infrastructure. Oshawa Power crews worked day and night to clear debris and restore power. The crews also cleared tree branches from individual home services to temporarily restore power while homeowners arranged for permanent repairs to their masts and ESA approval to reconnect fully.

    “We want to thank our people who worked tirelessly to restore power quickly and safely to our community and allow our customers to get back to normal. Our strong storm response experience enables our team to restore power quickly and ensure that our grid is more resilient to withstand these extreme events occurring more frequently,”

    – Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

    The safety of our people and community is first and foremost our top priority and we are grateful to all affected customers for their patience and support during our restoration effort.

    For Safety and Outage Information

  • Call 911 and Oshawa Power to immediately report any downed wires or electrical hazards
  • Visit our safety and outages website and our emergency preparedness page

    • Media Contact

    Oshawa Power Communications

    Oshawa, Ontario – Earlier today, Oshawa Mayor, Dan Carter and Ivano Labricciosa, President and CEO of Oshawa Power officially launched the new on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Downtown Core. Access to charging has been a barrier to consumer adoption and now through a collaborative partnership with the City, the Region of Durham, and partially funded by Natural Resources Canada, driving range and charging access is less of a concern. This investment in level 2 chargers will make EV charging more accessible to all visiting the downtown core.

    On-street stations have been installed and activated in the following locations:

  • 100 Simcoe St. S
  • 45 King St. E
  • 40 King St. W
  • 8 Bond St. W

    • “Since 2018, Oshawa Power has invested in electrification. We have been planning and advancing the infrastructure to support the growing demands and evolution in the industry, population growth and the clean energy movement. With grid enhancements, planning for fluctuations, research on battery storage needs and how to feed the grid efficiently, Oshawa Power is confident that the system is ready to handle the impacts and needs.”

    – Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

    Promoting use and access to EV charging is critical to electrification and EV adoption in Durham. Currently, Oshawa is the fastest growing community in Canada and is expected to have an increase in EV adoption—recent data indicates there are nearly 1000 registered EVs in Oshawa and growing.

    To stimulate use and promote the launch in the community, Oshawa Power temporarily assumes the charging costs ― ending September 15, 2022. At that point, standard EV rates will apply. And, since the chargers have been quietly active, thirty-five (35) sessions have been registered, with an average charge time of 173 minutes.

    As we look forward, we will continue to work with industry partners and local post-secondary schools on projects that support data collection, energy load prediction, and grid optimization; resulting in an easier transition to EVs for the consumer.

    Quick Facts

  • As of February 2022, there are 75,274 EVs registered in Ontario.
  • Transportation accounts for 25 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
  • To date, over 130,000 Canadians and Canadian businesses have taken advantage of the federal incentive to purchase a zero-emission vehicle.

    • Resources

    Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program
    E-Mission

    Media Contact

    Oshawa Power Communications

    Summer Time-of-Use hours and Tiered thresholds take effect Sunday, May 1st 2022. Here is everything you need to know about the switch.

    About Time-of-Use (TOU) rates

    Under Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing, customers are charged according to the day of the week and time of day that they use electricity. This gives customers the option to shift higher electricity-use activities — such as laundry or running the dishwasher — to off-peak periods, which are charged at a lower rate.

    There are three different TOU price periods: on-peak, mid-peak and off-peak.

    May 1, 2022 Time of Use Rates:

    On Peak – 17.0 ¢/kWh
    Mid Peak – 11.3 ¢/kWh
    Off – Peak – 8.2 ¢/kWh

    Summer pricing periods

    Summer TOU Hours

    To learn more about TOU rates, visit our Time of Use page.

    About Tiered rates

    Tiered pricing separates electricity consumption into two price tiers. Customers are charged one rate for electricity usage up to a certain amount of consumption (or threshold) per month, and a higher rate for electricity used above that amount.

    Summer pricing tiers

    Tiered rates pricing – per 30 days (residential customers)
    Price tier Description Price
    Tier 1 Up to 600 kWh/month 9.8 ¢/kWh
    Tier 2 More than 600 kWh/month 11.5 ¢/kWh

    Tiered rates pricing – per 30 days (non-residential customers)
    Price tier Description Price
    Tier 1 Up to 750 kWh/month 9.8 ¢/kWh
    Tier 2 More than 750 kWh/month 11.5 ¢/kWh

    Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power is excited to announce its plan for installing and managing Level 2 chargers for the downtown core, creating a new opportunity for residents and visitors to charge their electric vehicles.

    According to a 2016 census, Durham Region commuters have the highest percentage of long commutes — over an hour each way (22.4%) within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Durham commutes are also comparatively GHG intensive and are therefore an important demographic to target for EV adoption.

    As part of a community assessment regarding EV adoption in Oshawa, the top five barriers to ownership for non EV owners included: High cost of EVs, availability of public chargers, range anxiety, fear of battery failure, charging time, and limited cargo space.

    Oshawa Power, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Durham Region and the City of Oshawa are hopeful that this installation is just the beginning of removing barriers to ownership. With partial financial support from NRCan, Oshawa Power will install and operationalize eight (8) EV Chargers in four upcoming downtown on-street parking locations. Locations are currently being finalized with the City.

    Mayor Carter agrees with the on-street charging approach, “As Canada’s fastest-growing city and an increasing number of EVs registered in Oshawa and surrounding areas, it is vital to be able to support their adoption. As the landscape changes, on-street charging is modernization and a positive step forward for residents and visitors.”

    These installations support the move for EV transition in Ontario. Currently, Oshawa is the only community supporting on-street public charging within Durham, putting Oshawa in a leadership position with other major metropolitan areas in Canada such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
    The Level 2 chargers offer speed, reliability, an optimal range output, and peace of mind to meet the travel needs of EV drivers. These chargers are designed to provide nearly a full charge in 2 hours or less – approximately the same time it takes to enjoy a meal, watch a show or attend a hockey game.

    Oshawa Power will assume the charging costs for use as part of its commitment to support EV adoption. It will be free for users coming to the downtown core for a summer promotional period, encouraging residents and visitors to visit the core, ending September 15, 2022. At that point, standard EV rates will apply. In addition, the EV charging spots will be discoverable on various networks, such as Plugshare, Waze, and Google Maps.

    “As businesses emerge from the pandemic, adding EV charging is a modern way to attract residents and visitors to the downtown core. This project will open the doors to other initiatives to make Oshawa a safer, more digitally-enabled and economically prosperous community,” said President and CEO Ivano Labricciosa.

    “This is perfect timing for our businesses to be welcoming visitors to the area, knowing that range is no longer a concern for EV drivers. Users of the spots can park, have lunch, shop, have a meeting, and when they return, feel confident that their car will be ready to continue with their journey,” added Jason King, CEO of the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.

    Media Contact:
    Oshawa Power Communications
    communications@opuc.on.ca

    Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power reports another record year for conservation during Earth Hour. The City of Oshawa conserved approximately 27,100kWh, a net change of 19% compared to the average of the three (3) previous Saturdays and surpasses the previous 2021 high, which was a savings of approximately 10% (14,364kWh).

    Our total savings of over 68,000kWh during Earth Hour since 2019 equals an average of approximately 12% (17,000kWh) lower electricity usage than the average March Saturday for the hour.

    “This year, the Oshawa Community really delivered and together, we can build a more sustainable future. Oshawa Power is committed to energy conservation and will continue to promote activities that conserve energy and lower our overall carbon footprint.”

    – Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

    To put these energy savings into perspective, 27,100 kWh is roughly equivalent to:

    • 9,000 hours of A/C use
    • 13,500 dishwasher cycles
    • Running an average refrigerator non-stop for 44 years
    • 225,000 hours of television
    • 1,800,000 LED bulbs turned off for one hour
    • 4,000 loads of laundry (wash and dry!)

    About Earth Hour

    Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet that the World Wildlife Fund (“WWF”) started in 2007 with a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia. Since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement of stopping climate change. For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.

    Media Contact
    Oshawa Power Communications Team
    communications@opuc.on.ca

    Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power is excited to announce the launch of its newest improvement initiative, an online virtual assistant called Watt.

    Oshawa Power is adapting to the desire for flexibility of the Oshawa community by integrating innovative technology into its customer services. Watt is a ChatBot housed on the Oshawa Power site and is available 24/7 to support after-hours inquiries and customers’ preferences for online connection and account management.

    Watt, the Virtual Assistant, helps users by serving up the information they need without navigating through the entire website. Combining a virtual assistant with our MyOshawaPower customer portal enables customers to take control of their service experience. Customers determine how and when they want to interact and learn how to self-manage their accounts entirely.

    “Oshawa Power is focused on providing new and innovative ways to support our customers while maintaining our commitment to low rates. Responsiveness is a key indicator for satisfaction, and we are confident that including Watt as an additional means to connect with us will support our growing number of customers who prefer interacting with us online and after our traditional working hours.”

    – Susanna Beckstead, VP Finance & Corporate Services

    Feedback is critical for ongoing improvements and enhancements. Users are encouraged to submit their feedback directly within the tool.