Category: Press Release

October 21, 2019

Join the call Monday, October 28

Oshawa Power to host a Telephone Town Hall Session

OSHAWA –Oshawa residents are invited to join Oshawa Power’s Telephone Town Hall session on Monday, October 28.

The Telephone Town Hall session will run from 7:30pm to 8:30pm and will provide community members the opportunity to ask questions about the budgeting and planning process or simply listen to the conversation.

Oshawa Power customers will receive a phone call to the phone number listed on their hydro account from our Executive team:

• President and CEO, Ivano Labricciosa;
• Vice President – Finance and Regulatory Affairs, Phil Martin;
• Vice President – Engineering and Operations, Matthew Strecker

The calls will take place between 7:30pm and 8:30pm. Those who do not want to miss a minute of the conversation are encouraged to call in to 1-800-793-5370. Community members are encouraged to send their preferred contact number (landline or mobile) to communications@opuc.on.ca before 4:30pm Friday, October 25 to ensure they are not missed.

The Telephone Town hall will take questions related to:

• Oshawa Power budget
• Regulated budget process
• Capital renewal programs
• Infrastructure maintenance programs
• Facilities
• Safety and Reliability
• Customer Service technology
• Factors related to the delivery portion of your bill

Subjects not covered in Oshawa Power’s Budget Telephone Town Hall include:

• Cost of electricity
• Taxes charged on your electricity bill
• Regulatory rates

Those unavailable for the call can submit questions in advance by emailing communications@opuc.on.ca. A transcript of all questions received, and answers provided will be available on Oshawa Power’s YouTube channel following the Telephone Town Hall session.

Feedback received during the Telephone Town Hall will be shared with Oshawa Power staff and included in Oshawa Power’s Distribution System Plan.

Those wishing to opt out of the call can email communications@opuc.on.ca or call 905-723-4626 ext 5243 to provide the phone number they would like excluded.

For those who cannot participate in the Telephone Town Hall session Oshawa Power is hosting a Public Town Hall at the McLaughlin Library Auditorium on Tuesday, November 5 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Oshawa Power customers will have the opportunity to learn about the 5 year budget plan and ask any questions directly to staff.

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Media Contact:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications Analyst
905-723-4626 ext 5243; srisorto@opuc.on.ca

For Immediate Release

October 2, 2019

Oshawa, ON – On the heels of winning the Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA) Worker Safety Award last week Oshawa Power was presented the Recognition of Performance Achievement milestone award from Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) for achieving over 500,000 no lost time hours.

Described on the IHSA website this award program recognizes IHSA member firms that have achieved a specific number of work hours (based on their firm size) without a lost-time injury (LTI). In addition, Oshawa Power has achieved and maintained their Certificate of Recognition (COR™) status with IHSA for 5 years running. COR™ is a national standard for recognizing a well-functioning health and safety management system.

“At Oshawa Power we have a very strong safety culture. We continuously go above and beyond industry standards and pride ourselves on being leaders. There is nothing more important than ensuring our crews get home to their families safely every day. We work safe to keep our community safe.” says Ivano Labricciosa, President and CEO, Oshawa Power.

Oshawa Power will be at community events to help educate the public about powerline safety. Their next public safety awareness event is November 21, 2019 -their annual Contractor Safety Day. If you are a contractor and would like to participate in this event please email communications@opuc.on.ca .

About Oshawa Power
Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 59,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit www.oshawapower.ca

Media Contact

Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications Analyst
srisorto@opuc.on.ca
905-723-4626 ext 5243
905-439-1930

For Immediate Release

September 27, 2019

Oshawa, ON – Yesterday, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) held its Annual Meeting and Ontario Electrical Safety Awards celebrating achievements in electrical safety. Awards were presented in the categories of Worker Safety, Consumer and Home Safety and Powerline Safety. Award recipients illustrated that electrical safety is a shared responsibility, touching all individuals and organizations across the province.

“At ESA we recognize the role continued education plays in increasing awareness and prevention of electrical safety hazards,” says Dr. Joel Moody, Chief Public Safety Officer, ESA. “The safety leaders we honoured today have demonstrated that training can have far-reaching effects on the public at large for many generations to come. We share their remarkable accomplishments with the hope that others will strive to make their own contribution to making a safer Ontario.”

Oshawa Power was proud to accept the 2019 Worker Safety Award. Oshawa Power’s commitment to safety is demonstrated through efforts brought not only to their staff internally, but contractors outside of Oshawa Power.

Oshawa Power offers continuous safety training and resources to our staff, resulting in a safety record that boasts over 500, 000 hours with no lost time injuries. In addition to a Joint Health and Safety Committee, there is an executive sponsored Ergonomic Change Team and a Wellness Committee in place.

Oshawa Power reaches beyond their own employee group to ensure public safety.   Contractors performing work for or with Oshawa Power must attend a Health and Safety orientation before they can begin work, ensuring our contractors are working to our high safety standards.

Oshawa Power also reaches out to the contractor community through their Contractor Safety Day. Contractor Safety Day brings together local contractors and businesses for a half day to review the dangers of working around powerlines and when to engage the utility for assistance when completing their work.

“Worker safety is paramount in every task we do because of the level of danger our team is exposed to everyday. We go above and beyond the standards for our staff to ensure the public is safe and our crews go home safely everyday to their families. I am extremely proud of our team for fostering a safety culture that is second to none.” says Ivano Labricciosa, CEO Oshawa Power.

Look for Oshawa Power at community events helping to educate the public about powerline safety. Their next public safety awareness event is November 21, 2019 for their annual Contractor Safety Day. If you would like to participate in this event please email communications@opuc.on.ca .

ESA Award A
ESA-Award B

Oshawa Power wins ESA Worker Safety Award

 

About Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 59,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit www.oshawapower.ca

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Media Contact
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications Analyst
srisorto@opuc.on.ca
905-723-4626 ext 5243
905-439-1930

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 5, 2019

OSHAWA POWER AT AUTOFEST FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE EDUCATION

OSHAWA, ONTARIO– In August 2018, Oshawa Power introduced their E-Mission Project to the residents of Oshawa at Autofest. This Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy is aimed at preparing our infrastructure, community, and customers for the electrification of transport.

As a kick off to the E-Mission strategy in 2018, Oshawa Power gathered and analyzed local EV usage and adoption data. Residents of Oshawa who owned an EV were encouraged to share their data and given a $25 credit on their Utility bill, (the average cost of charging an EV for one month), for participating in an online survey. 100% of EV owners surveyed by Oshawa Power reported that they would buy an EV again for their next vehicle purchase.

After 2 years at Autofest, Oshawa Power has been able to personally engage our community and gain valuable information for use in the planning of public charging and infrastructure planning.

By partnering with the EV Society, Oshawa Power was able to give residents an up-close look at several different makes and models of modern EVs. eCAMION Inc. provided an example of a charger by loaning us their newest “Jule” fast charging station for display. Volunteers from Oshawa Power and the EV Society were on hand to answer any questions about EV ownership and any potential impact to our power grid.

Oshawa Power volunteer, Lori Dafoe said, “Autofest has been a great venue for Oshawa Power to meet with car enthusiasts and educate them about electric vehicles. Many people are very surprised at the variety of EVs available in today’s market, everything from a small compact to a large SUV.”
Ministry of Transportation data indicates that electric vehicle purchases in Oshawa are growing substantially – almost tripling in the pasts 18 months!
To learn more about EVs, or to fill out the Oshawa Power survey visit: www.oshawapower.ca/e-mission today.

Autofest Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2019

Oshawa, ON – Oshawa Power’s electricity supply may be impacted due to extreme gusts of wind at 90 km/h up to 110 km/h expected later today. It is anticipated that power interruptions will occur due to the severity of current weather conditions. Please be advised that Oshawa Power is available and ready to ensure public safety however the severe winds pose a safety risk to our workers and will challenge our efforts to restore power quickly. Our trained responders will make every effort to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.

Harsh gusts of wind impact your power as they can damage power lines and/or cause their surrounding environment damage. Exposure to high winds can weaken trees, which can fall on top of powerlines temporarily suspending power.

Please take caution if you see a fallen tree limb or fallen powerlines. Downed powerlines may be energized and are dangerous. If powerlines are down, assume they are active and stay at least 10 metres away (the length of a school bus), and call 911 immediately. To report outages, Oshawa Power customers should call 905-723-4623.

If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our message form, https://www.oshawapower.ca/contact-us/ and provide us with details. We will send out a crew to address the potential hazard.

Oshawa Power reminds customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. The City of Oshawa and local emergency responders recommend that residents prepare and plan to be self-sufficient for 72 hours in an emergency situation.

  • Please make sure that you have flashlights and batteries available.
  • Do not use charcoal or a gas barbecue, camping heating equipment or portage generators indoors as they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
  • Before you leave home, please do walkthrough of your home just as you would when going on vacation and make sure all appliances are turned off such as stoves, ovens, coffeemakers, etc.

If you experience an outage, follow the updates on Twitter and Facebook, @oshawapower. To view a live update of current outages, visit the outage map at https://www.oshawapower.ca/outages.

This storm is expected to continue into the Monday morning commute and Oshawa Power would like to caution drivers to be aware of our crews on the road and be safe.

About Oshawa Power: Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit www.oshawapower.ca.

Officials from the Japanese Consulate and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization of Japan (N.E.D.O.) visited Oshawa City Hall on February 19 as part of a wrap up of the international partnership component of their Solar Energy Management System pilot.

Led by Oshawa Power (Oshawa PUC), the five-year pilot project consisted of a unique partnership between the utility, City of Oshawa, Tabuchi Electric, and N.E.D.O., a Japanese governmental organization that promotes research in the renewable energy field.

The $1.2 million initiative involved the participation of 30 homes in Oshawa utilizing solar energy, an advanced smart inverter and a lithium-ion battery to simultaneously produce, store and manage energy from their own home.

The 30 households were each provided with an energy storage system to store solar power for use during peak hours and after sunset. The systems also provided several hours of backup power in the event of an outage. Additionally, the homeowners realized savings of over 50 percent on their electricity bills.

The pilot demonstrated and quantified beneficial climate change adaptation strategies, as well as benefits to both the consumer and the utility such as virtual power plant functions.

Prior to the project kick-off in 2014, a project of this scale and scope had not yet taken place in North America.

The February 19 visit included:

  • a closing results forum with officials and staff representing all the project partners and many participating pilot homeowners
  • a meet and greet and gift exchange with members of City Council, Oshawa Power, the Japanese Consulate and NEDO
  • Oshawa Power presentation of the high-level results during the regular City Council meeting

Detailed results from the pilot will be posted on Oshawa Power’s website in the coming weeks.

Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in Oshawa.

Quotes:

“Oshawa Power is proud to have collaborated with major international partners and the City of Oshawa to bring leading-edge technology to our customers. This award-winning pilot brought international notoriety and roughly $1.2 million dollars of investment to our community,” said Ivano Labricciosa, President & CEO, Oshawa Power. “Through the joint efforts of the partners, we explored new service offerings that promote affordability, reduce environmental impact and increase the resiliency of our power system – all things we know are important to the people of Oshawa.”

“This international partnership and cutting-edge residential solar storage pilot – the first of its kind to launch in North America five years ago – was another great example of Oshawa being on the leading edge of innovation,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “We thank Oshawa Power and our partners from Japan, Tabuchi Electric and N.E.D.O. for investing in our city and making advancements in the renewable energy field.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

International Close-Out of Solar Energy Management System Pilot

Oshawa, ON, February 12, 2019 – Oshawa Power announces the wrap-up of the international partnership component for their Solar Energy Management System (SEMS) pilot. The utility will provide high-level results during the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting at 6:30 pm, February 19th, City Council Chambers, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa. Members of the public and press are invited to attend.

The pilot consisted of a unique partnership between the City of Oshawa, Oshawa Power, Tabuchi Electric and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a Japanese governmental organization that promotes research in the renewable energy field. The $1.2 million initiative involved the participation of 30 homes in Oshawa utilizing solar energy, an advanced smart inverter and a lithium-ion battery to simultaneously produce, store, and manage energy from their own home.

The pilot demonstrated and quantified beneficial climate change adaptation strategies as well as benefits to both the consumer and the utility such as virtual power plant functions. As a result of this effort, SEMS are proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and aid their users in climate change adaptation. The project was successful in providing its users with a source of energy during power outages, along with electricity bill savings of over 50%.

Oshawa Power extends gratitude to NEDO, Tabuchi Electric and the City of Oshawa for enabling this leading project. Prior to kick-off, a project of this scale, with these aims had not yet taken place in North America.

Team members will attend the closing results forum next Tuesday to perform a final review of the project. Detailed results from the pilot will be posted on Oshawa Power’s website at a future date.

For questions, email cdm@opuc.on.ca

About Oshawa Power: Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit https://www.oshawapower.ca/

OSHAWA POWER

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

OSHAWA– Weather reports are predicting 15 to 25 cm of snow, ice pellets, possible freezing rain and strong winds of 70 -80 km/h to hit Oshawa today. Oshawa Power is following the storm conditions and watching for impacts on the electricity grid.  Snow and ice build-up on poles and wires and strong winds can cause outages. We have crews prepared to handle any service disruptions in a safe and efficient manner.

Please be cautious if you see a fallen tree limb or fallen powerlines. Downed powerlines may be energized and are dangerous. If powerlines are down, stay at least 10 metres away (the length of a school bus), and call 911 immediately.

If you identify a potential tree hazard that needs to be addressed please contact us using our message form, https://www.oshawapower.ca/contact-us/ and provide us the details. We will send a crew out to address the issue.

If you experience an outage, follow our updates on Twitter and Facebook, or check our outage map opuc.on.ca/outages. If you need to report an outage you can call 905-723-4623.

Oshawa Power encourages customers to be prepared for power outages before the power goes out. Local emergency responders recommend that residents prepare and plan to be self-sufficient for 72 hours in an emergency situation.

  • Please make sure that you have flashlights and batteries available.
  • Do not use charcoal or a gas barbecue, camping heating equipment or portage generators indoors as they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
  • Before you leave home, please do walkthrough of your home just as you would when going on vacation and make sure all appliances are turned off such as stoves, ovens, coffeemakers, etc.

Click here for more tips and visit the City of Oshawa’s website for city updates. Stay safe and informed.

About Oshawa Power: Oshawa Power provides safe, reliable and efficient electricity distribution services to over 58,000 customers in the City of Oshawa. For more information visit https://www.oshawapower.ca/

Please note: E-Mission has grown into a region-wide initiative in partnership with the Region of Durham and Elexicon Energy. The bill credit and survey mentioned within this release are no longer available. For more program information please visit the new E-Mission website.

Oshawa, Ontario – Oshawa Power is proud to announce the launch of E-Mission; our new, full-serve electric vehicle (EV) strategy aimed at preparing our infrastructure, community, and customers for the increasing electrification of transport. E-Mission is a three-pronged initiative that strives to:

  •  Educate by offering our customers a robust collection of resources that will help them develop a complete understanding of the EV landscape;
  • Empower through providing a streamlined experience for adopters to make the transition easy and affordable; and,
  • Evolve through strategically updating our energy infrastructure to ensure our grid is up to the challenge of the electrification and proactively meets the needs of EV adopters.

To kick-off E-Mission, Oshawa Power will be gathering and analyzing hyper-local EV usage and adoption data. We’re calling on residents of Oshawa with EVs to fill out our EV survey and redeem a bill credit of $25 (the typical cost of charging your car for a month). Residents without EVs or those who live outside Oshawa can also fill out a survey for a chance to win valuable rewards.

“As an industry-leading utility, Oshawa Power takes pride in being at the forefront of new trends in the sector” said Ivano Labricciosa, President and CEO of Oshawa Power and Utilities Corp. “Our aim is to build value for our rapidly growing and evolving customer base. That’s why E-Mission’s focus is on working with customers to understand their wants and needs when it comes to electric vehicles”.

For more details about E-Mission, visit Oshawa Power’s launch event at Autofest 2018. The launch will educate participants on electric vehicles featuring a close-up look at two modern EVs provided by the EV Society, a DC Fast Charge 50 kW EV charging station provided by e-CAMION, a classic McLaughlin-Buick, and interactive activities.  There will also be many give-aways from our partners at the Canadian Automotive Museum, Parkwood National Historic Site and Save On Energy. Autofest takes place at Lakeview Park, Oshawa on August 25th and 26th.

For more information, or to fill out our EV survey visit www.oshawapower.ca/e-mission today.

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Media Contact:
Sheila Risorto
Marketing and Communications
Oshawa Power
905-723-4626 ext 5243
srisorto@opuc.on.ca

Please be aware that for the next six weeks, Oshawa Power is undertaking a Public Awareness of Electrical Safety Survey as part of our electricity distributor scorecards. The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and will cover safety topics related to power lines, green transformer boxes and more.  To establish the required sample of participants basic demographic information will be requested however please take note that we will not be asking for any identifying information such as hydro account number, home address, and credit card or banking information.

Utility Pulse, on behalf of Oshawa Power, will be carrying out the survey via telephone. If you receive a call, please consider participating. Your responses will help us better target our public safety communications to Oshawa residents.

Results from the survey will be included in Oshawa Power’s annual scorecard, set to be released this fall.  Should you have any questions please contact our office by phone at 905-723-4623 or by email at  contact us and we will be happy to help you.  For further information on the Public Awareness of Electrical Safety Survey, please visit the Ontario Energy Board.

To see Oshawa Power’s past scorecards visit Oshawa Power’s Regulatory Affairs page and for more information on Electricity Distributor Scorecards, visit the Ontario Energy Board.