Shining a Light on 2022 Outages

As we move into a new year and leave 2022 behind us, we want to share some important data, information, and highlights about the reliability of our local power grid.

Providing safe and reliable electricity to more than 60,000 customers across Oshawa comes with its fair share of difficulties. In 2022, we experienced a variety of unique challenges; wildlife contacts, downed tree limbs, motor vehicle accidents, May’s extreme derecho storm, and even a giant symbol of national pride.

Canadian flag wrapped around power lines

In the aftermath of May’s derecho, we discovered a massive Canadian flag tangled in our power lines.

Despite these factors, the strength and resiliency of our power infrastructure and tireless work ethic of our crews helped us to achieve industry-leading reliability results.

99.99% Overall Reliability Score

At Oshawa Power, we recognize the importance of the service we provide to our community. In an increasingly connected world, electricity is the fuel that powers our lives, homes, and businesses. Our goal is to provide a safe and reliable supply of electricity to our community when they need it.

Overall system reliability achieved ‘Four 9s’ or greater than 99.99%.

In 2022, we were able to meet our goal, accomplishing a reliability score of greater than 99.99% or, as the industry calls it, ‘Four 9s’. While a perfect reliability score of 100% is a near impossibility, we will continue to maintain, strengthen, and grow our grid to better serve our city and ensure our customers are connected to one of the most reliable local grids in the province.

What does a reliability score of 99.99% mean to Oshawa Power customers? It means that the average customer experienced just 88 total minutes of outage time last year. Some customers may have experienced a single extended outage, multiple shorter outages, or no outages at all, but overall our average customer experienced less than an hour and a half of downtime in 2022.

May’s derecho contributed significantly to overall outage duration.

Last year, the largest factor in our outage duration number was Adverse Weather, accounting for more than 70% of overall system downtime. Much of this downtime can be traced back to interruptions caused by May’s historic derecho storm.

Response Time

One of the most important factors in limiting outage durations and ensuring we keep our customers lights on, is the speed with which we respond when issues occur. Whether an issue knocks out power to one customer or 1,000 customers, our industry-leading smart grid allows us to begin coordinating restoration efforts instantly.

In many cases our integrated smart grid, consisting of our Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) system, auto-switches, and self-healing capabilities is able to automatically detect an issue and its location, rerouting and restoring power to affected areas in seconds with customers experiencing no more than a momentary loss of power.

Careful coordination meant rapid response times for Oshawa Power customers.

When restoration is unable to occur automatically to all customers, our coordinated restoration process flows through our Control Room Operators and to our crews whose average response time is less than 15 minutes.

Our rapid response times allow our customers peace of mind, ensuring that crews will be on site, working to mitigate issues and restore power as fast as possible.

Outage Frequency

Another key metric used to measure our system reliability is the average outage frequency for our customers. In 2022, our average customer experienced approximately a single outage.

Our average customer experienced about one outage in 2022.

We understand that some customers may have experienced more than one outage, and many experienced zero. As part of our Capital Rebuild Plan, we are strategically improving and rebuilding key areas of our grid in order to better serve areas of our city experiencing increased outage frequencies.

Planning for the Future

Our multi-million dollar Capital Rebuild Plan allows us to prepare for Oshawa’s growth as one of Canada’s fastest growing cities and renew infrastructure in well established areas of the city. This plan is meticulously developed in 5-year cycles to maintain the strength of our grid and improve overall reliability for all of our customers.

Foreign interference, or incidental contact with our infrastructure by animals, trees, etc., once again accounted for a large number of outages.

As part of our Capital Rebuild Plan in 2022, our crews upgraded or rebuilt 4,653m or approximately 4.6km of overhead and underground wires, replaced or installed 67 poles, and connected 86 new transformers. All of these upgrades are carefully planned to minimize the impact of scheduled outages during construction, ensure aging infrastructure is replaced, and improve system capacity as Oshawa continues to grow at a record pace.

Battling the Elements

In May 2022, a devastating derecho swept across our province causing extensive damage. With wind speeds eclipsing 100 km/h, trees were uprooted and torn limb from limb, utility poles broken, and overhead power lines snapped, wreaking havoc on power grids across Ontario.

Crews battled fallen trees and downed wires to restore all service in under 24 hours.

Locally, more than 9,000 customers across our service territory were left without power. Within minutes our teams activated to begin restoring service in problem areas across the city, restoring power to nearly all customers within 24 hours.

During our restoration efforts, crews replaced more than 25 poles and 8.1km of overhead lines — approximately enough to stretch from Oshawa’s eastern border with Courtice, across the city to our western border with Whitby.

After restoring Oshawa’s power, crews headed out to assist in neighbouring territories.

After working around the clock to turn lights back on throughout our city, many of our crew members traveled to neighbouring districts to assist with further restoration efforts, an initiative that we remain incredibly proud of.

With our climate changing at an increasing rate, we understand that extreme weather events like May’s storm will become increasingly common. Our grid, operators, and crews are prepared with the processes and knowledge they need to limit the impact of adverse weather on our city.

Starting Strong in 2023

On January 25th we experienced the first major weather event of the year, sustaining nearly 25cm of snowfall. Winter storms often have a large impact on local power grids as heavy snow accumulation and accompanying high winds can knock limbs from trees, cause increased stress on power infrastructure, and increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents.

Despite the adverse weather, Oshawa Power’s grid stood strong. Thanks to our smart grid system, prolonged outages were avoided with the exception of approximately 15 customers in the direct vicinity of damaged infrastructure.

By detecting these issues the instant they occurred, our system was able to reroute power to other homes in the area, restoring service to all but those directly affected by the issue, within a moment’s notice.

Looking Ahead

The new year represents a new opportunity to further improve our system reliability. With fully-integrated grid automation tools and revamped emergency restoration processes based on learnings from last year’s derecho, our team expects to continue our record of outstanding reliability.

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

For more information on how we’re building towards improved reliability, visit our Capital Rebuild page.

Oshawa, Ontario – In support of the Back Door Mission, Oshawa Power staff donated more than 350 pairs of socks to distribute to individuals experiencing housing uncertainty in our local community.

When the Back Door Mission released a call for donations in October, Oshawa Power was quick to organize an internal sock drive to support our Bagot St. neighbours. Running for just under a month and targeting a delivery date before the harsh winter weather returned, employees were asked to donate new or gently used socks, with the company matching each pair.

“As neighbours we witness firsthand all the amazing support that the Back Door Mission offers to our community. When the chance to support their work arose, we jumped at the opportunity to contribute. We look forward to continuing to work with the Back Door Mission to help make our local community a safe space for all.”

– Jen McHugh, Communications Manager, Oshawa Power

Access to adequate footwear is an important factor in maintaining foot and ankle health, a serious but often overlooked challenge for individuals experiencing housing insecurity. Up to two thirds of the unhoused population will experience foot and ankle issues. These issues often begin small but over time can lead to more serious health concerns.

Through these donations, Oshawa Power hopes to help Back Door Mission keep our community warm this winter and support the health and wellness of Oshawa’s unhoused population.


The Back Door Mission Christmas Spectacular 2022

Join the Back Door Mission on Friday, December 9th for their annual Christmas Spectacular. Featuring live entertainment, activities for children, and a Christmas marketplace, all proceeds from this fantastic event will help support our community.


Looking for more ways to help?

Learn more about the Back Door Mission’s work in our community and find out how you can donate by visiting their website.

Oshawa, Ontario – Since 2017, Oshawa Power has proudly joined together with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43 in raising banners across Downtown Oshawa to honour and memorialize our veterans. This year, we had the honour of raising an additional 19 banners, bringing the program’s total count to 86 memorials.

We offer our sincere gratitude to the brave individuals who fought for our freedoms and for the great nation of Canada. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.


Honoured Veterans


  • Charles Alfred Wells
  • Private Nelson Train
  • Davey Thompson
  • Evan Strait
  • Cecil Henry Smith
  • Ted McComb
  • Henry Samuel Lee
  • Norman Roy Hodgson
  • Thomas Hopkins Hammond
  • Archie S.D. Dean
  • James Convery
  • George Hayward Crawford
  • Edward J. Crawford
  • Gordon James Brown
  • George Brocanier
  • Nancy C.M. Brisebois
  • S/Sgt. Alfred C. Brisebois
  • Winnifred A. Branton
  • Eric C. Branton
  • James Reid
  • Alexander Reid
  • Henry Hatton Price
  • Major Zane Piekenbrock
  • WO1 Fred Palmer
  • Harold H. Nugent
  • Ronald W. McTague
  • James Claude McPhee
  • John Manning
  • Victor P. Lockie
  • Elmer Eirra Lewis
  • Bill Kurelo
  • Gordon H.E. Kitchen
  • Francis Charles Hannan
  • William Roy Gillman
  • Roy Foster
  • Robert E. Woodward
  • Bedford David Thomson
  • Robert James Normoyle
  • Robert D. Normoyle
  • Patrick J. Normoyle
  • Gregory Francis Normoyle
  • Daniel D. Normoyle
  • Glen Wm. Maunder
  • Sgt. John A. Lowry M.M.
  • George W.B. Kingsland
  • Walter Taylor
  • Maurice Bruce Proctor
  • John Edward Parr
  • Lt. Alan Edward King
  • Harry L. Ferneley
  • Kevin Ferguson
  • James Essex
  • Leslie W.B. Childerhose
  • Harry Arthur Brown
  • Elam Brinson
  • William Ernest Boyce
  • Shawn Bowe
  • Frederick William Willis
  • Earl “Bus” William Wilson
  • Frederick Charles Taylor
  • Charles William Taylor
  • Gordon Thomas Stacey
  • James M. Scott
  • Allen W. Robinson
  • Ronald F. Rice
  • Calvin Cecil Reid
  • William James Lee
  • Henry J. “Chick” Hewett
  • William Thomas Harding
  • Edward C. Halcomb
  • Henryk K. Fraczek
  • Douglas J. Finney
  • D. Craig Finney
  • Frank Buller
  • William Robert Brown
  • Norman Edward Brown
  • Orval Earl Brock
  • Harry A.C. Turner
  • William James Somerville
  • William “Sam” Magee
  • Malcolm W. Knocker
  • Ben Jacklin
  • John H. Hodgson
  • WO2 Don Chapman
  • Earl K. Campbell
  • The Unknown Soldier


To find out how you can honour a veteran, please visit our Community page.

Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power, a leader in energy services for over 130 years, proudly celebrated a significant safety milestone earlier this year by reaching one million hours of operations without a single staff-related Lost Time Injury (LTI). This grand achievement has taken the 80-person organization six (6) years.

Enzo Garritano, President and CEO of Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), joined the organization for a celebratory barbecue and to present the award.

“Focusing on the daily participation and dedication of the team, supervisors and site crews is integral to success. Congratulations to all of you for reaching this milestone.”

– Enzo Garritano, President & CEO, IHSA

Everyone at Oshawa Power has a role in health and safety, beginning at onboarding and extending into daily practice. Policies, practices and procedures are reviewed at the very beginning of employment and revisited regularly to ensure each employee is comfortable and confident in the practices.

“Achieving this milestone can be attributed to four measures, orientation, training, industry best practices and a comprehensive incident review committee, where incidents are openly discussed to make improvements and keep people safe. The Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) plays a pivotal role in ensuring the full team is aware and fully capable of adhering to new practices and procedures.”

– Matthew Shaw, Health & Safety Coordinator, Oshawa Power

Every employee is encouraged to participate in identifying issues and become comfortable speaking up for safety. When all the pieces are working seamlessly, teams are confident in assessing their day-to-day situations and recognizing potential hazards – keeping everyone safe.

Safety meetings are integral and held regularly to review relevant workplace-related safety topics, safe work practices, policies and incidents, both internal and external. Recommendations, adjustments or specific training are developed as a result.

The JHSC is a critical team and factor in the success as they perform workplace inspections of the facility to identify, analyze and mitigate risks. Additionally, the safety team completes an annual review of the occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) results to prepare us for the upcoming year of health and safety goals.

“The focus on safety never stops. It evolves. We will continue to focus on our training, and intentionality. The dedication that has brought us to this point will undoubtedly take us to our new goal ― to reach ten million hours.”

– Denise Carpenter, Interim President & CEO, Oshawa Power

For information on what it takes to be safe – check out the resources below.

Resources:

  • Find tips on safety and outages

  • The IHSA Safety Podcast is a free podcast from the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association that seeks to improve the workers’ lives in Ontario — one thought-provoking discussion at a time

  • Learn about Electrical Utilities Safety Rules

  • Find out more about the Canadian Council for Occupational Health and Safety Association

Toronto, Ontario – The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) announced on Friday that they will be lowering electricity rates for households and small businesses as of November 1, 2022 under Ontario’s Regulated Price Plan (RPP).


Time-of-Use (TOU) Electricity Rates

Winter TOU Periods New TOU Prices
(Effective Nov. 1, 2022)
Change
Off-Peak
Weekdays – 7 p.m. – 7 a.m., all day weekends and holidays
7.4¢/kWh ↓ 9.8%
Mid-Peak
Weekdays – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
10.2¢/kWh ↓ 9.7%
On-Peak
Weekdays – 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
15.1¢/kWh ↓ 11.2%




Tiered Electricity Rates

Winter Tiered Periods New Tiered Prices
(Effective Nov. 1, 2022)
Change
Tier 1
Residential – first 1,000 kWh/month
Non-residential – first 750 kWh/month
8.7¢/kWh ↓ 11.2%
Tier 2
Residential – for electricity used above 1,000 kWh/month
Non-residential – for electricity used above 750 kWh/month
10.3¢/kWh ↓ 10.4%




Ontario Energy Rebate (OER) Changes

The Government of Ontario’s Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER) will also be changing effective November 1, 2022. The pre-tax credit will be lowered to 11.7%.

Changes to pricing will come into effect on November 1, 2022 along with winter Time-of-Use (TOU) hours and Tiered pricing thresholds.

Read the Ontario Energy Board announcement here.


Your Power, Your Choice

As a residential or small business customer in Ontario, you have the ability to choose between TOU or Tiered electricity pricing. Use the Rate Comparison Tool available through MyOshawaPower or visit oeb.ca/choice to use the OEB’s calculator and find out which plan works best for your lifestyle.


Looking For Help With Your Bill?

Oshawa Power has programs designed to make your electricity bills more manageable. Find out more about Financial Assistance programs and eligibility.


Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power, in partnership with Durham Region, is delighted to host the popular Plug’n Drive Mobile Electric Vehicle Education Trailer (MEET) for a four-week period starting July 21, 2022. This free and tactile informative event combines a question-and-answer session with an electric vehicle (EV) expert and an opportunity to test drive some of the latest EV models.

Information and resources are available to help answer questions for those who may be curious about how to make the transition to an EV.

As one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, Oshawa has some of the longest daily commutes in the GTHA. This event will help demonstrate the benefits of EVs, thereby helping to increase EV adoption. Recent MTO data indicates that as of December 31, 2021, there are nearly 1,000 registered EVs in Oshawa.

The month-long EV roadshow and discovery centre will take place at Oshawa Power, 100 Simcoe Street South. Bookings are available every Thursday to Sunday, from July 21 to August 14.

Quotes

“We are committed to events and activities supporting residents and consumers with information that drives understanding all aspects of owning and operating electric vehicles. Oshawa Power is grid-ready, now and for the future.”

– Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

“By working with our partners, the City of Oshawa continues to take actions to combat climate change. Initiatives like this that raise awareness about electric vehicles as an important way to reduce Oshawa’s greenhouse gas emissions are a positive step towards a more sustainable future. I would encourage everyone to learn more.”

– Dan Carter, Mayor, City of Oshawa

“Electric vehicles are a key climate solution in Durham Region, given that transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Through our partnership with Oshawa Power and Plug’n Drive, we are working to create opportunities for residents to experience driving electric vehicles, and to learn about how they can be part of a win-win solution for the environment and the economy.”

– John Henry, Regional Chair & CEO, Regional Municipality of Durham

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

    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, Ontario – Oshawa Power has been a trusted partner in the community for more than 130 years and truly cares about this community and those who live here. Over the years Oshawa Power has regularly supported registered charity and non-profit organizations within the community with time (volunteering), in kind donations (helping to find solutions), and with donations (food, goods and dollars). The last two years have been particularly hard on many, but also highlighted how many people in our community have stepped up to go above and beyond to help others in need. This year we wanted to recognize some of those special people.

    Oshawa Power put out the call for community members to nominate a “Local Hero” who went above and beyond to help others and make our community a special place. More than thirty nominations were received and reviewed by an impartial panel of judges. This panel of volunteer judges included: Mayor Dan Carter, Jason King, CEO Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Craig Venn and Mike Luck, Morning Show Hosts 94.9 The Rock. These judges looked through all the nominations and made their picks, once all the judges submitted their choices, the top picks were notified, and a donation was presented to each charity at All or Nothing Brewhouse on December 14, 2021.

    Four Local Heroes and representatives from their charities were able to join us for the presentations. Local Heroes Jill Boville, Dave Briggs, Gene Balson, and Caitlin Pye were presented with a Certificate of Recognition for the work that they do in our community and their charities, Simcoe Hall Settlement House, Salvation Army Family Services, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and Simcoe Hall Foodbank each received a donation of $1000 to support the work they do in the community.

    “As a member of this community, Oshawa Power is committed to giving back to the community where we live and work. This year we thought it would be a good idea to involve Oshawa residents and provide them with the opportunity to recognize some special people in the community, while helping local charitable and nonprofit organizations. The response was terrific, with more than thirty heartwarming stories received. It was a pleasure to meet the Local Heroes that make our community great!”

    – Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO

    This is the first time Oshawa Power has employed this strategy to their Charitable Giving, and their plan is to make it an annual event.