Orillia, ON, July 12, 2022 – Today, Hydro One announced it is investing more than $10 million to enhance transmission infrastructure and improve power resiliency and reliability in Orillia and the County of Simcoe. The company will replace a transformer that is nearing the end of its life to prepare the grid for the future and bolster the resiliency of Orillia Transmission Station (TS). While the work is underway, the station will be configured to connect to a Mobile Transformer Unit (MTU) to ensure back-up power is available to the community of Orillia in the case of an extended outage, resulting in a more redundant electricity network.
As part of this investment, two smart switches were installed last year along critical transmissions lines that run from Barrie to Minden to minimize the duration of power outages. These upgrades enhance automation and provide our grid control centre operators with the ability to remotely control electrical equipment and restore power to customers faster. In addition, Hydro One plans to replace insulators next year along 400 structures that were originally installed in the 1950s and 1960s. Insulators are critical to delivering safe and reliable power as they stop the electricity in power lines from flowing down a pole or tower to the ground.
“With storms getting increasingly stronger, Hydro One is investing in building a grid for the future in order to support local businesses, residents and the economy. As a proud member of the Orillia community, we are preparing our equipment and stations for the impacts of climate change,” said David Lebeter, Chief Operating Officer, Hydro One. “Upgrades at Orillia TS and area transmission lines will energize life for customers and improve power reliability and resiliency for years to come.”
“Not that long ago, we welcomed the Hydro One family to the Sunshine City and we are proud to have them as part of our community,” said Steve Clarke, Mayor of Orillia. “Hydro One’s continued investment in Orillia demonstrates their commitment to providing Orillians with safe and reliable service. As the City of Orillia works with our community partners to address the challenges of climate change, investments such as this infrastructure update from Hydro One are critical.”
“Today’s announcement is good news for Orillia, preparing the electricity network for the future,” said Jill Dunlop, Member of Provincial Parliament for Simcoe North. “I am pleased to see Hydro One invest in the transmission network as our community continues to grow.”
“Our government is working to ensure continued access to reliable, affordable, and clean electricity for Ontario’s homes and businesses.” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “Hydro One’s infrastructure upgrades will help strengthen the electricity grid in Orillia and Simcoe County, so that local customers can continue to depend on access to safe and reliable electricity well into the future.”
Hydro One has been a proud partner of the Orillia community since June 2021, and the company is dedicated to energizing life in the region for years to come.
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Hydro One Limited (TSX: H)
Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with approximately 1.5 million valued customers, approximately $30.4 billion in assets as at December 31, 2021, and annual revenues in 2021 of approximately $7.2 billion.
Our team of approximately 9,300 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2021, Hydro One invested approximately $2.1 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying approximately $1.7 billion of goods and services.
We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are designated as a Sustainable Electricity Company by the Canadian Electricity Association.
Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the TSX and certain of Hydro One Inc.'s medium term notes are listed on the NYSE. Additional information can be accessed at www.hydroone.com, www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov.
