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TORONTO, Dec. 24, 2013 /CNW/ - Hydro One has deployed all available staff to work on restoration efforts across Ontario. Currently there are about 50,000 Hydro One customers without power. The freezing rain that started Saturday has caused widespread power outages to Hydro One's distribution system. Hydro One is working to restore as many customers as possible today, but some customers will be without power overnight.

Hydro One has restored approximately 110,000 customers since the storm began, but much work remains.   "We know some of our customers are cold. We know that they are waiting for the lights to come back on. We are on our way, "said Carmine Marcello, President and CEO of Hydro One Inc. "I promise you that we will not rest until all of the people we serve have the electricity they need for their homes to function."

More than 1,400 workers including line maintainers, foresters, technicians, helicopter crews, call centre agents, grid control operators and support staff are working. Hydro One is also receiving assistance from 15 other utilities, which are in a position to help as they have restored all of their own customers.   Helping utilities include: Woodstock Hydro, London Hydro, Tillsonburg Hydro, Festival Hydro, Sudbury Hydro, North Bay Hydro, Orangeville Hydro,  Orillia Hydro,  Midland Hydro, Haldimand Hydro,  Norfolk Hydro, Peterborough PUC, Newmarket Hydro, Ottawa Hydro, Pembroke Hydro.

"Our industry always comes together and can be counted in our customers' time of need," said Mr. Marcello. "I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to the all the utility workers who left their homes during the holidays to help Hydro One."

Once Hydro One customers are restored, resources will be made available to Toronto Hydro and other utilities that need them get power back to their customers.  

Some of the major areas affected are listed below:

Estimated times of restoration range from December 24 to December 26 for the final customers restored.

Hydro One will provide updates on restoration times once the extent of the storm damage has been determined in each of the affected areas. Typically, with a weather event of this magnitude, it can take multiple days to repair damage and restore power to all customers.

Important Safety Information
Hydro One strongly urges people to take extra precaution near fallen power lines. People are urged to report the location of the fallen wires to Hydro One as soon as possible. Touching a vehicle or a tree that is in contact with a power line can be fatal.

Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's 29,000 km high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 123,000 km low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

SOURCE Hydro One Inc.