- Significant investment will improve area reliability -
HUNTSVILLE, ON, April 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, Hydro One announced it will invest $20 million this year in the Districts of Muskoka and Parry Sound to improve reliability and reduce tree-related outages for Hydro One customers. Trees represent the single largest cause of power outages in this densely wooded area. The investment includes line clearing, annual maintenance and upgrades to more than 1,000 kilometres of lines on Hydro One's electricity distribution system.
In 2015, trees caused more than 400 outages on the segments of line targeted by this investment. Over 40,000 Hydro One customers in the area will benefit from this investment along with a number of large industrial customers, generators and local electric utilities connected to Hydro One's Muskoka Transmission Station.
"Our customers are at the focus of everything we do, we know they count on us to maintain a safe and reliable electricity network they can depend on," said Jon Rebick, Vice President, Provincial Lines and Forestry, Hydro One. "In addition to improving reliability, we are taking steps to complete this work in a manner that creates the least possible disruption for our customers. For the vast majority of the project, our highly trained crews will be able to do their work while the lines are electrified so we can keep electricity flowing to local homes and businesses."
Forestry work is underway and is expected to be complete by the end of 2016. More than 100 highly-skilled forestry staff will remove or trim trees and brush that is, or has the potential to interfere with power lines and cause outages.
To reduce impact on traffic and business during busy summer months and improve efficiency, lines staff will conduct annual maintenance work of replacing end-of-life or damaged distribution equipment and poles at the same time forestry work is being done.
About the Company
Hydro One Limited is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with approximately $24.3 billion in assets and 2015 revenues of over $6.5 billion. The company delivers electricity safely and reliably to over 1.3 million customers across the province of Ontario, and to large industrial customers and municipal utilities. Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's approximately 29,000 km circuit high-voltage transmission network and an approximately 123,000 circuit km primary low-voltage distribution network. Hydro One Limited common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H).
Forward-Looking Information
This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such information includes, but is not limited to: the Company's objectives, goals, strategies, intentions, plans, with respect to the Great Lakes Transmission business, the Company's expected ownership percentage of transmission capacity in Ontario after completion of the transaction and the expected timeframe for closing of the transaction. Words such as "expect", "may", "intend", "will" and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actions and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking information. For more detail on these risks and uncertainties, please refer to: (i) the Company's filings with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which are available at www.sedar.com and (ii) Hydro One Inc.'s filings with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States, which are available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. The Company and Hydro One Inc. do not intend, and they disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking information, except as required by law.
SOURCE Hydro One Inc.
