TORONTO, March 4, 2018 /CNW/ - Hydro One announced today that it has mobilized approximately 175 employees to help restore power following the devastating nor'easter in Boston and Baltimore. The storm has caused widespread power outages, tidal waves and coastal flooding. It is estimated that more than one million people are without power.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by this devastating storm," said Greg Kiraly, Chief Operating Officer, Hydro One. "Hydro One's highly skilled storm responders have a long-standing history of answering the call for help and restoring power to other communities in need. Every Ontarian should be proud of the commitment of our employees to assist during times of need."
Hydro One's hardworking and dedicated employees are trained to work in emergency situations on both transmission and distribution systems. The company will send nearly 75 power line workers to help Eversource with the restoration efforts near Boston, Massachusetts and nearly 75 power line workers to help Baltimore Gas and Electric in Maryland. Crews will be joined by about 25 support staff, including safety staff, mechanics and supervisors. Crews are expected to cross the Canada/U.S. borders in Cornwall and Niagara early Sunday morning and should reach the affected areas by Sunday evening.
As part of the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group, Hydro One has reciprocal agreements in place with North American utilities to provide assistance during significant power outages. In these mutual assistance situations, all costs are covered by the utilities receiving help.
"Hydro One has established a strong reputation for operational excellence and commitment to safety," said Kiraly. "This is the fourth time in the last 12 months that we have deployed resources to help other utilities affected by major power outages."
In January, Hydro One received an Emergency Assistance Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its storm recovery efforts following Hurricane Irma in Florida. In September 2017, Hydro One crews demonstrated their commitment to operational excellence by quickly mobilizing 175 employees to help restore power to more than 10,000 Florida residents after Hurricane Irma pummeled the state and surrounding region.
About Hydro One Inc.:
Hydro One Inc. is a fully owned subsidiary of Hydro One Limited, Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with more than 1.3 million valued customers, $25 billion in assets and 2017 annual revenues of nearly $6 billion. Our team of over 7,400 skilled and dedicated regular and non-regular employees proudly and safely serves suburban, rural and remote communities across Ontario through our 30,000 circuit km of high-voltage transmission and 123,000 circuit km of primary distribution networks. Hydro One is committed to the communities we serve, and has been rated as the top utility in Canada for its corporate citizenship, sustainability, and diversity initiatives. We are one of only five utility companies in Canada to achieve the Sustainable Energy Company designation from the Canadian Electricity Association. We also provide advanced broadband telecommunications services on a wholesale basis utilizing our extensive fibre optic network. Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H).
SOURCE Hydro One Inc.
