Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power is pleased to announce it has received $400,000 in federal funding through Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) Energy Innovation Program in support of its Distribution System Operator (DSO) initiative, entitled “Empowering Energy Transition: A Distribution System Operator Enabled Demand Response Program”.

The funding will support a capacity-building project resulting in the design and development of the processes and tools required to run a local DSO market. This project will include the publication of a benefit cost analysis for the deployment of a local DSO as a non-wires solution (NWS). As part of the project scope, Oshawa Power will focus on DSO use-cases that target under-served customers and address emerging areas of need in the local grid, including the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), EV aggregators running managed charging platforms, and demand response strategies.

The NRCan announcement, made Friday, March 27, recognizes Oshawa Power’s ongoing work to build a more affordable, flexible and resilient distribution network in support of Ontario’s evolving energy landscape.

Oshawa Power is delivering this innovative work in collaboration with GridS2 and Cambium Indigenous Professional Services; sector leaders in energy transition and Indigenous advisory services..

Quotes

“This funding is a meaningful step forward in Oshawa Power’s grid modernization strategy. Developing the capability to operate a local DSO market equips us to manage growing demand more efficiently while pursuing innovative solutions to meet our community’s needs through the energy transition. We are grateful for NRCan’s support and confident in the value this project will deliver for customers across Oshawa.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

“Canada is scaling up clean energy while strengthening our electricity grid and responsibly growing our conventional energy industry — because competitiveness means doing more than one thing at the same time. We are investing to provide reliable, affordable and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower.”

– The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

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In 2025, Oshawa Power customers experienced 63% less downtime than the Ontario average.

Oshawa Power is committed to delivering safe and reliable electricity to the homes and neighbourhoods we serve. In 2025, our electricity system continued to perform at a very high level, helping customers stay connected, comfortable, and supported in their daily lives.

Reliable power plays an important role in everyday activities. It keeps homes and businesses running, supports remote work and learning, and allows essential services across the city to operate without interruption. Oshawa Power is proud to continue providing a level of reliability that customers can depend on.

2025 Reliability Performance

Reliability Score: 99.99%

In 2025, we achieved a reliability score of 99.99 percent. This means electricity was available to customers nearly uninterrupted throughout the whole year. This level of performance continues to exceed provincial averages and reflects the ongoing investment in maintaining a strong and reliable electricity system.

Average Number of Outages: 0.62

Customers experienced an average of 0.62 outages in 2025. In simple terms, this means that most customers had fewer than one outage during the year, and approximately 40% experienced none at all. Based on this performance, the average Oshawa Power customer can reasonably expect to experience just one outage every 19 months. This result demonstrates the effectiveness of proactive system maintenance and planning.

Average Yearly Downtime: 35 Minutes

The average customer experienced a total of 35 minutes without power in 2025. This measure includes all outages over the year. Keeping outage duration low helps reduce the impact on daily activities in the home and across the community.

Oshawa Power customers experience much less downtime than the Ontario average:

Outage Response Time: 29 Minutes

When outages occurred, Oshawa Power crews responded quickly. In 2025, the average response time was 29 minutes, a 17% decrease from 2024.

Transitioning from traditional paper maps to real-time, automated digital mapping has improved our response efficiency. This improvement allows our crews to more accurately pinpoint faults, reducing the need for manual patrolling during outage response.

Total Number of Unplanned Outages: 258

A total of 258 outages were recorded across our grid in 2025. This includes outages caused by weather, equipment issues, wildlife, and outside interference. Many of these outages were localized and affected a small number of customers.

Momentary Outages: 133

There were 133 momentary outages in 2025. These outages typically last only a few seconds and are often the result of system protection equipment operating as designed. Momentary outages help prevent more serious or longer lasting interruptions by automatically restoring power to most customers while isolating the smallest possible, directly affected area until full restoration can be completed.

What This Means for You

Better reliability means fewer interruptions and shorter outages when they do occur. For customers, this means fewer disruptions to daily routines, business operations, and more confidence that electricity will be there when it is needed most. Fast response and restoration times help limit the impact of outages on homes and families.

Understanding Power Outages

While Oshawa Power’s system is highly reliable, outages can still happen. Causes can include weather, equipment issues, and foreign interference such as construction activity, wildlife contacts, motor vehicle accidents, vandalism, and other factors outside of Oshawa Power’s control. When outages occur, crews respond quickly and work safely to restore power as soon as possible.

In 2025, approximately 40% of all outages were classified as being caused by Foreign Interference. The table below outlines how many outages fell under each category last year:

Notable Outages

While each year brings new challenges, a few outages in 2025 stood out as particularly impactful or unusual, including those caused by foreign interference and the increasing unpredictability of local weather patterns.

February 3, 2025

Cause: Equipment Failure

This was the first significant outage of the year. A connector on a feeder’s overhead conductors failed, causing a feeder lockout. Crews responded promptly, identified the issue, and completed repairs to safely restore power to customers.

July 5, 2025

Cause: Foreign Interference

A sparrow made contact with electrical equipment, resulting in a feeder lockout. While the outage was brief, it highlights how wildlife interactions can affect the electricity system.

July 22, 2025

Cause: Foreign Interference

A crane came into contact with powerlines, causing a feeder lockout. No one was injured. Oshawa Power crews worked with emergency services to secure the area and restore power safely.

September 5, 2025

Strong winds with gusts up to 63 kilometres per hour caused a tree limb to contact powerlines and crews also found multiple metallic foil balloons tangled in the lines, which had to be safely removed before power could be restored. The coincidental timing of both of these issues occurring at nearly the exact same time resulted in a more difficult restoration process for our crews as they had to assess, locate, and repair both issues simultaneously, causing an approximately 2.5 hour outage in the affected area.

Planning for Today and Tomorrow

Oshawa Power takes a proactive approach to maintaining and improving reliability through careful planning and ongoing monitoring of the electricity system.

Distribution System Plan

Our Distribution System Plan balances the current and future needs of communities across the city. It helps prepare the system for growth, new technologies, and changing electricity use. This planning supports continued reliability and ensures the grid can meet customer needs for years to come.

Asset Condition Assessment

Our Asset Condition Assessment program monitors the health of electrical equipment across the system. Poles, wires, transformers, and other assets are regularly inspected and assessed. Assets that exceed acceptable risk levels are flagged for planned replacement, helping reduce the likelihood of unplanned outages.

A Grid You Can Rely On

In 2025, Oshawa Power once again delivered electricity with reliability that exceeds provincial averages. These results reflect careful planning, targeted investment, and the dedication of our crews who work every day to keep the power on.

Reliable electricity is often taken for granted until it is unavailable. Oshawa Power is proud to provide a dependable system that supports homes, neighbourhoods, and the city of Oshawa, today and into the future.

To compare how we measure up to LDCs across the province and our own previous performance, check out the OEBs Scorecard Comparison Tool.

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Reliable electricity starts behind the scenes, in the equipment that keeps power flowing across Oshawa. This fall, Oshawa Power is completing upgrades at Municipal Substation #7 (MS7) with advanced eHouse switchgear technology, a key investment that will strengthen the reliability and safety of our city’s power supply for years to come.

Why Substations Matter

Municipal Substations are the backbone of Oshawa’s local grid. They receive high-voltage electricity from Ontario’s provincial system and convert it to lower voltages for safe delivery to homes and businesses.

MS7, located at Simcoe Street North and Taunton Road East, has been serving customers for nearly six decades. Like any essential infrastructure, its electrical equipment reaches a point where replacement is necessary to maintain reliability and avoid unplanned outages.

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What’s Changing at MS7

Oshawa Power’s new eHouse switchgear represents the next generation of electrical infrastructure:

• Modular and prefabricated: Built off-site, tested, and delivered ready for plug-and-play installation.
• Compact and efficient: Fits seamlessly into the existing substation footprint.
• Enhanced safety: Provides better protection for staff and equipment.
• Future-ready: Designed to integrate with digital monitoring and smart grid technologies.

Work on MS7 began in 2025 and will be completed by December. This marks the second of four planned switchgear replacements under Oshawa Power’s long-term Capital Rebuild Plan.

The Bigger Picture

This project is part of Oshawa Power’s proactive Municipal Substation Switchgear Replacement Program. By replacing aging infrastructure before failure, we reduce outage risks, improve reliability, and prepare the grid for future energy needs including electric vehicles, distributed generation, and smart grid expansion.

“These upgrades are part of our commitment to maintaining a strong, modern, and resilient power system for Oshawa. Investing in infrastructure today means greater reliability and fewer disruptions tomorrow.”

– Peter Petriw, Director, Engineering & Operations

What It Means For You

For customers fed by MS7 and even across the rest of our grid, this upgrade means:

• Fewer unplanned outages
• Greater grid stability during extreme weather
• Long-term reliability as the city continues to grow

Oshawa Power continues to invest in critical infrastructure that keeps your lights on, your devices powered, and your city moving forward.

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Oshawa Power has appointed four new members to its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will play a key role in advancing the organization’s 2025 to 2030 strategic plan, supporting priorities in green energy, long-term value creation, infrastructure services, and building a high-performing team.

Key Highlights:

• Four new directors appointed: Paul Kwasnik, Charles Mongeon, Mika Unterman, and Tova White
• Added leadership capacity across energy, technology, sustainability, and HR
• Stronger governance support for Oshawa Power’s strategic plan.

Meet Our New Directors

Paul Kwasnik, BA, MBA

Paul brings more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector, including nine years as CEO and President of Brantford Energy Corporation. His work focused on modernization, operational efficiency, regulatory strategy, asset management, and customer service.

Charles Mongeon

Charles is a technology executive and governance professional with over 30 years of experience across energy, telecom, and retail. His background spans enterprise resilience, digital transformation, and IT governance.

Mika Unterman

Mika is known for her systems thinking and commitment to circular economy solutions. She currently serves as Director of Sustainability Capabilities and Planning at The Coca-Cola Company in Canada and has led projects across consumer goods, education, and technology.

Tova White, MSc., C. Dir

Tova brings over 25 years of experience in human resources leadership across retail, financial services, and consumer packaged goods. Her work includes major transformations at Giant Tiger, Coca-Cola Canada, Chapters, Indigo, and BMO.

“We are pleased to welcome the new directors to the Board and are confident their diverse experience and governance expertise will be instrumental as we advance our five-year strategic plan. Their contributions will enhance the Board’s oversight and support our commitment to delivering sustainable value for our stakeholders.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO

Thank You to Outgoing Board Members

Oshawa Power extends sincere appreciation to departing board members Denise Carpenter, Grant Buchanan, Terry Caputo, and Donna Kingelin. Their leadership helped move the Board from an operational model to a skills-based governance structure.

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Starting November 1, 2025, new electricity pricing from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) will come into effect across Ontario.

These changes will affect the the ‘Electricity’ line of your bill and will have no impact on ‘Delivery’ or ‘Regulatory’ charges. To learn more about the charges that make up your monthly electricity bill, visit our Understanding Your Bill page.

Alongside the OEB’s rate changes, November 1 will mark the shift to the Winter Schedule for customers on the Time-of-Use (TOU), Tiered, and Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO) pricing plans.

The Winter Schedule will remain in effect until May 1, 2026 when customers will see the return of the summer pricing schedule.

New RPP rates and usage schedules for each pricing plan are outlined in the following charts:

November 1, 2025 Electricity Rates

For a full schedule of past electricity pricing, visit the OEB’s Historical Electricity Rates page.

Ontario Energy Rebate (OER) Increasing

To help residential and small business customers offset the cost of this rate increase, the province has announced an increase in the Ontario Energy Rebate (OER) from 13.1% to 23.5%.

This rebate is applied as a pre-tax rebate and will show up as a single line item on your electricity bill. For an average residential customer using about 700 kWh of electricity per month, the rebate will be approximately $36, up from about $17 before the OER increase.

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