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FROM THE CHAIR
Greater Promise of Big Things to Come
As my colleague Indy Butany-DeSouza of Elexicon Energy notes in a profile in this issue of The Distributor, in our sector we “make a real impact on the lives of so many people and businesses.”
Most fundamentally, that positive impact derives from providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity. It’s a testament to how effectively we do so that most Ontarians give very little thought to all that goes on behind the scenes to ensure power is there at the touch of a button or swipe of a screen.
But articles in this issue remind us of the scope and complexity of that task. The challenges are as daunting as planning for prudent yet effective investment in vast networks of essential infrastructure, much of which was first built in the post-war era; or enabling subterranean legacy equipment to communicate with cutting-edge data acquisition and control systems.
All of which needs to happen without losing sight of the primacy of the customer, and of the need to provide them with an excellent experience – from call centre contact through to work order execution and resolution.
Delivery on those objectives is impressive in and of itself. But what holds perhaps even greater promise – in terms of positively impacting the lives of people and business – is the extent to which local utilities are partnering with municipalities and others on diverse, future-focused and transformative initiatives.
Grid re-design, distributed energy resource deployment, and fostering the emergence of full-scale and futuristic smart cities – it’s increasingly all in a day’s work for EDA LDC members and their commercial partners. We highlight a few examples in this issue’s lead feature.
Finally, I encourage you to read an update from the Ontario Energy Board on its now year-long journey towards heightened transparency and other aspects of regulatory modernization. We commend the OEB for its advancement in various promising directions such as a digital-first approach, improved filing procedures, and constructive engagement forums such as the Energy [X] Change.
As OEB CEO Susanna Zagar acknowledges, though, “there is much more to do.” At the EDA, we look forward to working alongside the Board as it continues that work and progresses towards regulatory excellence.
I hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine, and the EDA communications team would welcome your feedback or suggestions for topics in 2022 (lcunningham@eda-on.ca). And as we move into the final weeks of the year, let me wish all members and readers enjoyable year-end observances, festivities and downtime.
Sincerely,
Chris White President & CEO, ERTH Corporation Chair, Electricity Distributors Association
The Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) publishes The Distributor for its members and stakeholders. All rights to editorial content are reserved by the EDA. No article can be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the EDA.
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SECTOR SCAN LOCAL HYDRO IS…
…EMBRACING INNOVATION
ERTH Corporation is deploying a network of EV chargers in locations that make sense for both drivers and the electricity system. The chargers will provide residents with more options to charge their vehicles where they live, work and play.
…REDUCING ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT
The new Alectra Utilities operations centre in Brampton will reduce the utility’s carbon footprint, generate renewable energy, and use solar powered EV stations, while improving service for customers.
… ON THE FRONT LINES OF A CHANGING POWER SYSTEM
Hydro One announced plans to reduce the impacts of power outages to its customers in northeast Ontario, to help enable economic growth in the region and to also prepare its system for the impacts of climate change through its five-year Investment Plan.
… STREAMLINING PROCESSES FOR COMPLEX UTILITY PROJECTS
ERTH Corporation and Halton Hills
Hydro discuss how they use Quadra Estimating Software for complex utility projects, capital budgeting, and tracking to help streamline the estimating process for complex utility projects. QES provides a real-time check for techs to see where their jobs are from a planning perspective. It can help see how jobs are tracking, where they are year-to-date, and how close they are to budget.
…GHG TARGET SETTING BY STARTING SMALL, GOING BIGGER AND GETTING ASPIRATIONAL
Alectra Utilities, the largest municipally owned energy company in Canada based on customers served, plans to reduce its corporate operations greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 38 percent by 2025 (compared to a 2016 baseline) and announced in May that it will be a net-zero emissions company by 2050. This makes Alectra one of the first energy distribution companies in Ontario to commit to a target and a timeline for reducing GHG emissions.
…USING CVR & GRID EDGE TECHNOLOGY FOR CAPACITY REDUCTION & ENERGY SAVINGS
Hydro Ottawa uses Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) with grid-edge power electronic technology by Sentient Energy as a Non-Wires Alternative for capacity reduction and energy savings. Hydro Ottawa has achieved a demand reduction of 1.63 MW or 3.06 per cent of substation peak load at its Kanata MTS substation. The project currently includes 43 pole mount Edge of Network Grid Optimization (ENGO®) devices, to support up to six per cent voltage reduction at the station LTC.
VINAY SHARMA AWARDED CLEAN16
The EDA would like to extend congratulations to Vinay Sharma, President & CEO of London Hydro and EDA board member, for making the list of Clean16 award honourees and being one of Canada’s top sustainability leaders for 2022. London Hydro has been at the forefront of innovation and implementing many programs to help its customers save energy and money.
MAX CANANZI APPOINTED TO OMERS SC BOARD
Congratulations to Max Cananzi on his recent appointment representing the EDA on the OMERS SC Board. Max was a past EDA board member and has had an extensive 34-year career in Ontario’s electricity industry, prior to his retirement from Alectra Utilities in 2020. EDA wishes him every success in his new role.
JEFF GRAHAM APPOINTED FESTIVAL HYDRO’S PRESIDENT & CEO
The EDA would like to congratulate Jeff Graham on behalf of our members and staff on his appointment at Festival Hydro as President & CEO. The EDA looks forward to working alongside Jeff and to his contributions to the sector.
WAYNE ARMSTRONG RETIRES FROM WELLAND HYDRO
Wayne Armstrong has announced his retirement from Welland Hydro, after serving as President & CEO over the last five years. The EDA wishes Wayne well in his future endeavours and all the best on his retirement.
HYDRO ONE WINS WORKER SAFETY AWARD
The EDA would like to extend congratulations to Hydro One for winning the 2021 Electrical Safety Authority’s Worker Safety Award for the prevention of serious electrical injuries and electrocutions on the job.
NEW CEO AT WELLAND HYDRO
The EDA would like to congratulate Kevin Carver on behalf of our members and staff on his appointment as President & CEO at Welland Hydro. We look forward to working with Kevin and to his contributions to the sector.
ALECTRA’S NEETIKA SATHE & SARA GANOWSKI RECOGNIZED AS CLEAN50 SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS
Congratulations to Alectra Utilities’ Neetika Sathe, Vice President, Green Energy & Technology (GRE&T) Centre, and Sara Ganowski, Smart Cities Specialist, for being recognized among Canada’s Clean50 Sustainability Leaders.
EDA WINS CREATIVE AWARDS
The EDA recently received two dotCOMM Awards for outstanding creativity and interactive experience, a platinum award for The Distributor and a gold award for our 2020 Year in Review guide. The EDA also received a third gold Viddy award for our 2020 Year in Review video, and a fourth MarComm gold award for The Distributor.
HELPING MAKE BIG NEW THINGS HAPPEN
When Ontario municipalities want to leverage new technologies and achieve big, transformative objectives, local distribution companies are one of the partners they increasingly look to for help in turning aspiration into reality.
Parry Sound, for example, is a relatively small town with an admirable ambition of becoming one of Canada’s first communities to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero.
Lakeland Power Distribution and Bracebridge Generation are playing an important role, through a two-part initiative and in close collaboration with the Town and other agencies and technology providers.
The first project – called SPEEDIER –involves more local generation and storage, utilizing a new solar array and a Tesla Megapack. In October a small but scale-able microgrid was commissioned. This will allow for testing of the functionality of the decentralized and flexible grid envisioned for Parry Sound as a whole, including the ability to be “islanded” during outages.
But renewables and storage are rarely a complete solution, and factors such as heightened reliance on solar in a winterpeaking region create their own complexities. Addressing that is the focus of the second project, called DEMOCRASI. This will involve a new system interface that will manage the already more complex generation mix; as well as orchestrating future inflows of customer-generated electricity, additional distributed energy resources (DERs), and varied conservation and demand response opportunities.
The combined benefits of these two projects could also address transmission capacity constraints, which are a potential brake on business and residential growth in Parry Sound. If combined with the right regulatory reforms, the outcomes could be a potentially effective “non-wires” solution, that will be preferable to expensive capital
upgrades designed to simply bring more electricity in from elsewhere.
“We’re working towards much greater flexibility on our local grid, reduced stress on our transformer, cost savings for customers, and even the ability for our local assets to be on standby to support the provincial grid,” says Lakeland Holding COO Vince Kulchycki. All that, plus greenhouse gas reductions that will help put Parry Sound one step further along the path to its net zero future.1
A LONG TRACK RECORD
Leaning on local utilities to deliver leading-edge innovation is a growing but by no means new phenomenon for Ontario municipalities. While the transformative potential of distributed energy resources is becoming widely understood and leveraged, utilities such as Milton Hydro have been helping their communities to tap into it for years.
In the mid-2010s, the utility and its Milton Energy and Generation Solutions affiliate began installing a combined heat and power system at the Milton Sports Centre. CHP systems generate electricity, and create added efficiencies by capturing what would otherwise be wasted heat from this process and putting it to direct use.
The system at the sports centre is unusual in that it provides “tri-generation” – delivering electricity, heat and (through the use of absorption chillers) cooling. Such systems are more commonly installed in industrial settings, so scaling it down was a challenge –solved in part by locating some of the required equipment in shipping
Combined heat and power equipment at the Milton Sports Centre.
containers adjacent to the sports centre.
Today, the centre is self-sufficient on heating down to temperatures as low as zero degrees Celsius, and a capacity limitation that had prevented sufficient cooling in the summer has been overcome. The centre can also continue to self-generate electricity even during an outage, and the inherent efficiencies mean electricity demand is lowered and carbon emissions avoided.
This project also placed Milton and Milton Hydro in the ranks of early adopters of innovative distributed energy solutions.
FROM SMART METERS TO SO MUCH MORE
Stratford is a dynamic example of the role distribution utilities and their affiliates can play in keeping communities on the leading edge in an increasingly digitized and automated world.
In the early days of smart metering, Festival Hydro and Rhyzome Networks recognized that remote metering infrastructure could be built on, and used as a launching pad for adoption and leveraging of a range of other technologies.
A number of factors coalesced into a powerful driving force behind this effort: Stratford’s vision to become a “smart city”; the close collaborative relationship between Festival, Rhyzome, the City and its investStratford economic development agency; an embrace of business lines beyond the scope of traditional utility activities; and the robustness of Stratford’s city-wide high-speed broadband network.
PARTNERSHIPS EXTEND BEYOND CITY HALL
Local distribution companies are adept at partnering creatively not only with their municipal shareholders, but with a variety of other stakeholders and community interests.
Waterloo North Hydro, for example, has a depth and breadth of relationships with post-secondary institutions in and near its service territory. This includes a range of scholarships and sponsorships, program advisory council participation, provision of co-op placements, cross appointments on boards, and occasional engagement on research projects.
One important benefit is human-resource related, with the utility better positioned to tap into robust local talent pipelines. Such relationships also foster industryacademia knowledge exchange, at a time when utilities need more than ever to be on top of the latest technology developments and insights.
Jeff Quint, WNH Manager of Customer Solutions and Communications, says he can foresee a further broadening of such partnerships – to include academic, private-sector and regulatory players – with utilities providing important capacities such as research-site hosting.
K-LINE INSULATORS LIMITED
SCALE-ABLE AND LOCALLY TAILORED
Value-creating, LDC-driven innovation and technology adoption takes place on varied scales and is often highly tailored to local circumstances. Hearst Power Distribution, for example, serves a customer base in one of the colder corners of the province.
One of its recently piloted customer offerings is intelligent parking lot controls, 450 of which have been installed in parking lots at facilities such as local mills (enough for 900 vehicles). These devices provide temperature-responsive power flow, and are programmable for either gas or diesel vehicles.
They prevent the unnecessary electricity drain that happens when block heaters draw power all day, regardless of need; and they can also prevent wastage such as activated seat warmers in an empty parked vehicle. They have been found to cut relevant electricity costs by up to 70-75 per cent.
This is among several ongoing conservation and environmental initiatives at Hearst Power Distribution, including installation of EV chargers, construction of a storage facility that will have rooftop solar generation (expected to cover the utility’s own needs), and an envisioned fleet conversion to EVs.
That led to Stratford’s noteworthy designation as Ontario’s Autonomous Vehicle Demonstration Zone. Then last year installation of communications equipment to facilitate autonomous vehicle testing was completed at all of the city’s dozens of traffic light-controlled intersections – making Stratford one of the first municipalities in North America to achieve this distinction.
In the months since, discussions have been ongoing with potential partners interested in harnessing Stratford’s smart-city infrastructure to test various technologies. The prospective applications and benefits are diverse, says recently appointed Festival President & CEO Jeff Graham, and include improvements in areas such as community safety, traffic control and emergency response times.
Stratford’s investments in a smart future have also proven valuable during the pandemic, when city-wide free access to the wireless network enabled adaptations such as open-air classrooms.
“We’re collectively looking at a number of ideas now, centred on continuing to build a smart community in Stratford,” says Graham. “We’re exploring emerging technologies that could leverage our infrastructure, while enhancing local quality of life and attracting industry. Stay tuned – there are definitely some exciting things on the horizon.”
1. This project is being delivered with financial support provided by NRCan and through the joint Canada-UK “Power Forward Challenge.” Kiwi Power and EDA member Opus One Solutions have been partners in its implementation.
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INVESTING IN A MORE RELIABLE AND RESILIENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM
From flash flooding in the south to forest fires in the north, climate change is making an impact in Ontario. Storms are becoming more frequent and increasingly severe, threatening electricity infrastructure on a more regular basis. To prepare for the impacts of climate change, and to improve power resiliency and reliability for its customers, Hydro One is looking at hardening, renewing and replacing infrastructure.
With a service territory spanning every corner of the province, Hydro One customers in some rural areas experience more power outages than those in urban areas. Between 2018 and 2020, an average of more than 100,000 Hydro One customers in hard-to-reach communities experienced more than 48 hours without power each year.
Hydro One is committed to improving service to customers no matter where they live. With new technology available that can reduce the impact of power outages, Hydro One is looking at opportunities to upgrade equipment to improve reliability and resiliency, support a growing economy, the shift to electrification and provide greater customer choice.
BUILDING A GRID FOR THE FUTURE
Hydro One recently filed its Joint Rate Application with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), which includes its 2023-2027 Investment Plan for the company’s transmission and distribution system. With most of the utility’s equipment built just after World War Two, Hydro One plans to
Jason Fitzsimmons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Customer Care Officer,
announces Hydro One’s five-year Investment Plan to significantly reduce the impacts of power outages for customers.
invest in a resilient, reliable and sustainable electricity system to reduce the impacts of power outages for its distribution customers by approximately 25 per cent.
A robust electricity system is critical to supporting economic growth and creating jobs, especially for energy intensive industries like data centres, greenhouses in the southwest and mining in the northwest. The company’s proposed five-year Investment Plan will make smart investments to significantly reduce the impacts of power outages for its customers, allowing industry to thrive.
Investments in modern and intelligent distribution devices will improve the customer experience. By investing in smart switches, Hydro One will ensure problem areas can be isolated remotely, reducing the amount of customers who experience power outages. Digital sensors are also being added to the grid to better detect the location of a problem. This helps direct crews to the source of the issue and allows them to spend more time making repairs and
restoring power, instead of patrolling long power lines along challenging terrain.
AN INVESTMENT PLAN ROOTED IN CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
To inform its $17 billion five-year Investment Plan, Hydro One launched its largest customer engagement to-date. Hydro One developed an investment plan that directly reflects feedback from close to 50,000 Ontarians. Customers wanted Hydro One to proactively replace aging equipment, with 85 per cent in favour of replacements to aging infrastructure when, or before it starts to deteriorate. Seventy-seven per cent of customers engaged wanted to see investments to keep businesses running safely and reliably. The majority of customers wanted proactive investments to prepare for more severe weather.
Through this customer-first approach, the utility was able to better understand the needs and expectations of Ontarians to develop a plan for the future.
CONTROLLING COSTS AND IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY
Hydro One is continually working to control costs and improve productivity to keep costs as low as possible. From 2015 to 2020, Hydro One achieved approximately $738 million of cumulative productivity savings. This was achieved through
plans to renew or replace critical infrastructure, improve
and reliability and prepare for the impacts of climate change, and build a grid for the future to support economic growth and customer choice.
ABOUT HYDRO ONE
Hydro One is Ontario’s largest electricity transmission and distribution service provider. They distribute electricity across Ontario to nearly 1.4 million predominantly rural customers, or approximately 26 per cent of the total number of customers in Ontario. In
Jason Fitzsimmons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Customer Care Officer and David Lebeter, Chief Operating Officer announce Hydro One’s five-year Investment Plan which includes
resiliency
INFORMATIONON-CALL
TEAMWORK + TECHNOLOGY = FIRST CALL RESOLUTION
Effective leaders understand that the best people to solve a problem are often the ones who deal with it every day. Customer service staff know their customers and understand the issues. Given the opportunity, they can also find the solution – often at little cost and great benefit.
“Employee-driven innovations can offer solutions that enable productivity, engender satisfaction and make it easier for employees to satisfy customer needs,” explains Robert Spagnuolo, ENWIN’s Director of Customer Service.
Robert decided to take advantage of some un-tapped expertise by encouraging his employees to enlist for ENNOVATION – the utility’s grass roots think-tank that teaches design thinking and innovation.
Customer Care and Billing Supervisor Laura Johnston had a burning customer service issue and didn’t waste any time before signing up.
“I had overheard a customer care representative playing phone tag with other departments to try to find answers to a simple question. After several calls, she faced an angry, frustrated customer who had been kept waiting too long,” explained Laura. “I knew we could alleviate the pain, if we could put accurate information at her fingertips.”
Laura joined forces with Jeff St. Louis, also a Supervisor in Customer Care and Billing, to explore the idea of lowering call volumes by empowering employees to resolve customer requests in real time. But, without the budget to outsource the project, how could Jeff and Laura provide their staff with instant access to information?
“We needed a no-cost, easy-to-use solution that would empower our representatives to provide a seamless response in one contact,” explained Jeff, who managed the customer service implementation. “That’s a tall order for any company.”
Director Customer Service Robert Spagnuolo(l) with GIS
Analyst Darren Daly and Senior Technical Analyst Marc Ethier outside the Operations Centre.
They found the answer through ENNOVATION. As is often the case at the think-tank, researching and presenting their own issues revealed similar challenges experienced by other departments across the company.
For example, Hydro Distribution was grappling with duplicate work orders generated when customers called back more than once over the same issue. It was the flip side of the customer service issue.
“Even as we were working with Hydro to identify and resolve a customer concern, that same customer was calling back and generating another work order for the same issue,” Laura explained. “It was an exercise in frustration – for employees and the public.”
Similar issues were identified in other operational areas. The team joined forces with IT and GIS to envision the solution.
“All our services are related to areas on the map,” explains GIS Analyst Darren Daly. “We realized that the GIS was already the repository for all the data they needed, so the answer would lie in giving customer service staff easy access to that information.”
“What we developed was a single, map-based information hub – a communication channel between customer service representatives and those who could answer their questions,” adds Senior Technical Analyst Marc Ethier, who was brought in to define the scope and lead the project. “We basically populated the map with these facts and found a way to connect the dots.”
The scope was enormous. Beyond the research and development of the technical solution, it required a massive IT training effort, across multiple departments, during a global pandemic, when the majority of participants were working out of the office.
“We took it in small bites,” Marc remembers.
That approach worked. After months of research, planning, training,
measuring and testing, the home-grown solution is complete and the outcomes spectacular.
“This has changed everything for our employees,” commented Laura. “Instead of facing angry customers, tired of waiting for information, they are able to instantly pull up the facts they need to answer a question or resolve a concern. The customer is happy, and so are we.”
“The access to data is almost instantaneous and the response is seamless from the customer’s point of view,” added Jeff. “Redundancies and follow-up work orders have been greatly reduced – and employee satisfaction is greatly increased. This is a win for us!”
The project is so successful that the team is planning to expand the scope.
Laura explains, “Today, our representatives need only to click the map to answer a customer’s question. Tomorrow, we hope to generate updates before the customer even calls to ask.”
ENWIN CEO Helga Reidel says she is proud of the innovative spirit exhibited by these employees.
“They defined an opportunity and pursued it with terrific outcomes,” said Helga. “We are grateful to Laura, Jeff, Rob, Darren, Marc and all the others who are continually seeking better ways to serve our community.”
Laura says she is just grateful for the opportunity to grow, learn and shine.
“I don’t think we would have tackled this without the ENNOVATION
ABOUT ENWIN UTILITIES LTD.
ENWIN is the licensed electricity distribution company serving customers in the City of Windsor, and is responsible for the local distribution of electricity, and the service and maintenance of the local electricity distribution infrastructure. ENWIN also maintains a contract of service with Windsor Utilities Commission (WUC) to operate and
Supervisors Customer Care and Billing Jeff St. Louis (standing centre) and Laura Johnston (right) brainstorm with colleges at an ENNOVATION think-tank session
EXCITED TO PAVE THE WAY FOR A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE
INTRODUCING THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ELEXICON ENERGY
INDY BUTANY-D e SOUZA
On September 20, 2021, Elexicon Energy welcomed its new President and CEO, Indy Butany-DeSouza. Indy has made history as the first South-Asian woman to be appointed to this prestigious role at Ontario’s fourth largest municipal utility.
“I am honoured to take on this challenging opportunity at Elexicon Energy at a time when leadership needs to be at its most innovative to drive success,” said Indy. “We have a chance to make real, substantive change; diversity will be the path to take us there. Diversity in teams, in leadership and in thought will help us manage the challenges that face our sector with compassion, understanding and ingenuity. This is a tremendous responsibility, not only to be a role model for others, but also an agent of change.”
After completing her MBA in Finance at McMaster University, Indy worked at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Indy was seconded to Brussels and supported business-to-business e-commerce projects over multiple sites in Europe. She returned to Canada in 2001, where she had an opportunity to work on an exciting and innovative project with the Ontario Energy Board: the opening of the retail market for electricity. At that moment, as Indy has said, she was bitten by the energy bug; she knew a career in energy would be in her future. The issues, challenges and complexities of the sector drew her in, but she loved that she could make a real impact on the lives of so many people and businesses.
Since then, Indy has held many leadership roles in energy –most recently at Horizon Utilities and Alectra Utilities as the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Privacy Officer, before joining the Elexicon Energy team. A strong female voice in the sector, she has received many accolades and is a sought-after thought leader, speaking frequently to government and regulatory officials and at many EDA events and roundtables on significant issues that continue to shape the mandate of this sector.
“Energy shapes, influences and affects every Ontarian, and I have the ability to drive the future of this industry,” Indy said. “It is
dynamic, and for a person who enjoys a changing work environment, this industry is energizing – pun intended.”
A big believer in self-discovery and a growth mindset, Indy is looking forward to connecting with the intellect and enthusiasm of an evolving organization that embraces change while also growing postconsolidation. This challenge and opportunity, along with the organization’s people, are what excited her the most about joining Elexicon Energy.
Elexicon Energy has positioned itself well to help Ontario and Canada adopt net zero emissions targets, leading the way in microgrid technologies, electric vehicle charging and advanced smart metering solutions. Indy sees a future where sustainability is the hallmark of the modern electric utility.
“With the great people of Elexicon and our strong community stakeholders and partners, we can achieve all our goals and establish a foundation of future growth across our sector,” she explained.
Elexicon Energy’s new President and CEO is committed to ensuring her organization embraces a customer-centric culture with a focus on excellence and safe operations, while balancing the need to drive innovation across the industry. “Electricity is an
essential service and safety is paramount. Not only are we focused on safety and the health and wellness of our team and the communities that we serve each day, but especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Equally important for her is the need for progressive change; staving off risks and ensuring electricity customers continue to have safe, reliable and affordable energy services.
With the driving force and commitment of Indy’s leadership, there is little doubt the company will soar to great heights. And while Indy understands that there will be growing pains along the way, she is ready to tackle them head on, and to learn from experience and celebrate successes with her Elexicon Energy team.
“I am honoured to take on this challenging opportunity at Elexicon Energy at a time when leadership needs to be at its most innovative to drive success,” Over 35 electric power and telecommunications infrastructure services, performed by the Valard Group of Companies. We work with expert partners to seamlessly produce turnkey solutions for our clients. Through a single contract and point of contact, we can, collectively, put together a full service team to successfully deliver every aspect of a power project.
ABOUT ELEXICON ENERGY
Elexicon Energy is the fourth largest municipally owned electricity distributor in Ontario. Our vision is to empower the communities we serve and help customers seize opportunities to ignite a better future. We provide over 171,000 residential and business customers with reliable and affordable energy services. Elexicon Energy is owned by five municipalities: the City of Pickering, the Town of Ajax, the Town of Whitby, the City of Belleville, and the Municipality of Clarington. @ElexiconEnergy
A HYBRID APPROACH TO GRID VISIBILITY AND CONTROL
Upgrading and automating aging electrical assets is an ongoing project for utilities. Finding cost-effective solutions that meet the unique needs of an underground secondary network can be challenging and time-consuming. Low voltage cables are heavily meshed in multiple manholes, and network transformers are often installed in underground vaults that are difficult to access.
London Hydro is taking a unique approach to increase visibility and gain remote control of its secondary network located in London’s downtown core. Two different solutions were implemented to establish communications between 57 transformer vault locations and its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
Previously, London Hydro relied on manual procedures for troubleshooting issues on its underground grid. This often required field staff to be positioned in the vaults to communicate any issues back to the control room over radio. This process took a considerable amount of time and presented safety hazards that could be avoided with updated and innovative technology.
The two solutions London Hydro is leveraging support the unique operational needs of its downtown grid, while offering insights for asset management and systems engineering. The key difference between these two solutions is the communications medium. One uses optical fibre cable, and the other uses power-line carrier (PLC) technology on London Hydro’s existing underground distribution cables.
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE
London Hydro recently deployed new network equipment along a main artery of
the downtown core. New construction presented the opportunity to include duct structure for the installation of an optical fibre backbone to its SCADA system. London Hydro elected to use a vault monitoring system from Eaton, with the newly installed optical fibre acting as the communications medium.
London Hydro worked with Eaton to customize a vault monitoring solution built around their Transformer Ruggedized Telemetry Link (TRTL). New transformer vaults were equipped with a TRTL responsible for collecting sensor data, such as vault liquid level, ambient temperature and transformer oil temperature. It also interfaces directly with Eaton’s Network Protection Relay to enable remote monitoring and control of the network protector.
The fibre backbone has been connected in 12 vaults adjacent to the main artery of downtown. To date, four locations have been fitted with the vault monitoring system, with the remaining eight locations being scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.
Digital Grid relay mounted in a network protector (lower left corner)
POWER-LINE CARRIER (PLC)
The remaining 45 network transformers supply two vast networks of low voltage cable, which occupy the north and south extremities of the downtown core. The dense urban landscape and geographically dispersed network rendered traditional communications either unfeasible or cost-prohibitive.
London Hydro is currently piloting a solution provided by DigitalGrid Inc., whose network protection relay supports two-way communications over London Hydro’s existing distribution cables using power-line carrier technology. The relay couples a signal containing sensor data into the medium voltage cable. The signal gets decoupled at
Electrical Utility Consulting & Engineering
the substation, where it connects to London Hydro’s SCADA system.
If there is a fault on one of the medium voltage cables, the relay can take advantage of London Hydro’s highly redundant secondary network to transmit the data through a transformer connected to an un-faulted medium voltage cable. This highly redundant system mitigates the loss of London Hydro’s situational awareness during network events.
Like Eaton’s system, DigitalGrid’s platform offered remote control of the network protector relay, as well as sensors to monitor vault conditions. The pilot installation is fully commissioned at four locations and will be assessed by London Hydro over the next six months.
“Our team is always looking for ways to improve safety and take a proactive approach to system reliability,” says Jac Vanderbaan, Director of Engineering. “This hybrid approach to vault visibility and remote network transformer control allows us to design a communications system that supports our employees and elaborate downtown network.”
London Hydro will use the real-time visibility into its grid to assess the condition of its assets and troubleshoot remotely, which is critical for supplying reliable power. In the future, London Hydro will use the data to make better decisions for system planning.
ABOUT LONDON HYDRO
London Hydro Inc. delivers safe and reliable electricity to over 160,000 customers. We are committed to being a trusted energy source provider through innovation, customer focus and operational excellence. @LondonHydro
We provide modern, secure, enhanced and reliable engineering solutions for a and Renewable Energy Projects for Transmission, Generation and Distribution sectors.
– Electrical Arrangement
– Protection, Control, Metering and SCADA
– Civil, Mechanical and Structural
– Power System Studies
– Solar, Wind and Battery Storage Projects
– Connection Impact Assessments
– Grounding, Lighting and Arc Flash Studies
– Field and Factory Testing
– Project Management and Owners Engineering
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ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Energy
EDA HOSTS ALL-MEMBER MEETING WITH MINISTER OF ENERGY
The EDA secured an exclusive all-LDC meeting with the Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Energy in September, and it was an excellent opportunity for LDC members to hear directly from the minister. With LDC and shareholder representatives in attendance, the minister acknowledged the EDA as his point of contact with the industry as the strong and trusted voice of the distribution community, and he commended leaders in our sector for their commitment to working together to ensure affordable, reliable, and sustainable access to energy for all Ontarians.
Minister Smith recognized LDCs for their flexibility and partnership with the government during the pandemic to deliver support to struggling individuals and small businesses, through the implementation and deployment of CEAP and CEAP-SB. And he thanked the sector for its efforts, which were seen as critical to the success of the COVID-19 response, by also supplying uninterrupted electricity to homes, health services, essential businesses, farms, and other vital infrastructure.
Going forward, the minister spoke to the broad energy priorities of the government being affordability, reliability, sustainability, and customer choice. The EDA would like to thank the minister and his team for being accessible and engaging with our members.
EDA MEETS WITH ONTARIO’S PARTIES AHEAD OF 2022 PROVINCIAL ELECTION
The EDA continues its advocacy efforts with all of the major Ontario political parties, current Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), and other influencers and decision-makers. These meetings continue to be a great way to engage on how local hydro utilities are on the front lines of power and to demonstrate the Power of Local Hydro Focusing on the pre-election period, the EDA has been engaging the parties to push for neutral to positive outcomes for LDCs in their platforms. The association has already met with Deputy Green Party Leader Dr. Dianne Saxe; advisors to NDP Leader Andrea Horwath as well as NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns; and Kate Graham, the Chair of the Liberal Party’s platform development process. Looking forward the EDA will focus on government and PC Party officials as well as continuing to communicate with all parties as they craft their energy-related policies.
THRONE SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF GROWING ECONOMY
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, delivered the Speech from the Throne to open the Fall Session of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario on October 4. The main theme of the speech was highlighting Ontario’s record through COVID-19. The speech also highlighted future investments in health care as well as transit and infrastructure expansion. The government stressed that a growing economy would allow for increased spending without the need for tax hikes or spending cuts.
The speech did not have any specific reference to energy or hydro bills. A throne speech is usually a good indicator of the government’s direction moving forward. Given that we are less than a year away from the next provincial election it is an encouraging sign that energy and hydro bills are not at the forefront.
Left to right: Dianne Saxe, Peter Tabuns and Kate Graham.
Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell
MINISTRY MOVING FORWARD ON COMMUNITY NET METERING
The Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario’s Minister of Energy, announced that a 70-acre multi-use community in London has been selected as the demonstration site for the province’s new Community Net Metering (CNM) model project, in collaboration with London Hydro and the City of London. The project is a step toward enabling more efficient utilization of distributed energy resources as a holistic microgrid, including embedded generation and storage, to further optimize energy management, lower bills, and reduce emissions.
Observers hope that results from the demonstration site will encourage the development of additional projects, and ultimately a full-scale deployment of the CNM model province-wide. Recent months have seen growing interest towards further reforms to the Net Metering Framework in the near future, as part of this government’s renewed commitment to expanding consumer choice in the energy sector. These changes could include allowance of Third-Party Net Metering (TPNM) arrangements, and perhaps eventual Virtual Net-Metering (VNM) in later years.
The government and industry believe the support and enthusiasm of the local electric utility will likely prove a critical factor in the pace of net metering expansion in any given distribution area. Advanced metering projects, whether a CNM arrangement or other forms of microgrids, may provide LDCs with valuable experience and insights into the management of innovative energy models, while also performing as Non-Wires Alternatives that can help offset the higher cost of conventional “poles-and-wires” solutions. The EDA will continue to collaborate with the government in the coming months on this file to support the creation of additional opportunities for EDA members.
MAKING YOUR VOICE HEARD
In consultation with LDC-member subject matter experts on our councils and committees, the EDA regularly provides comments and submissions on diverse policy-related issues, ensuring the voice of local hydro utilities in Ontario is heard by policymakers and stakeholders.
The EDA has been in a particularly consultation-heavy period, and we have been busy working internally and through our many councils to ready ourselves to provide input as needed on several files. Through proactive outreach and formal responses to calls for submissions, the EDA has submitted the following on behalf of members over the last few months:
MINISTRY OF ENERGY
• OEB Mandate Letter
• Proposed Amendments to O Reg 95/05
• Proposed Amendments to the Ontario Electricity Rebate
ONTARIO ENERGY BOARD
• Innovation Sandbox 2.0
• OEB Inflation Factor for 2022 IRM Rate Setting
• OEB Staff Paper for Updating CDM Guidelines
• Proposed Distribution System Code Amendments Re: Connecting Devices
• Proposed Amendments to the Practice Direction on Confidential Filings
• IESO Fees Case Issue List
INDEPENDENT ELECTRICITY SYSTEM OPERATOR
• DER Potential Study
• Feedback Form on DER Engagement Session from Aug. 25
• Feedback on the Replacement of the IESO Settlement System
• Feedback on the IESO Industrial Energy Efficiency Program
• Feedback on the IESO DER Roadmap
MINISTRY OF GOVERNMENT AND CONSUMER SERVICES
• EDA Letter - Minister Romano on Reducing Red Tape
READ ALL OF THE EDA’S LATEST SUBMISSIONS AND RESEARCH PAPERS TODAY.
POSITIONING MEMBERS FOR DAYONE POLICY SUCCESS
In this occasional feature, The Distributor profiles EDA staff members and the expertise they put to work for members.
WHAT’S ‘GR” REALLY ABOUT?
Derek Nardone is among several EDA employees who focus on government relations. Derek defines GR as creating, managing, and sustaining good working relationships with the ever-changing cast of decision-makers and influencers who, in turn, have the power to impact utilities’ business success.
Day-to-day, this involves monitoring everything from official announcements, to question period and legislative proceedings, regulatory postings, and even politicians’ social media feeds. That’s all filtered and analyzed to keep members up-to-speed, and to inform the EDA Policy, Government and Corporate Affairs (PGCA) team’s direct advocacy for member interests.
The team is now gearing up its preelection strategy – Ontario’s next provincial vote is less than 30 weeks away – which will position the distribution sector as an ally on electricity policy, to all the parties contending to form government.
Pre-election tactics will include Power of
Ontario’s next provincial vote is less than
weeks away
Local Hydro digital ads, meetings with party platform writers, public opinion research and more. “Our goal is to ensure utilities are set up for Day-One business success with whoever is elected to government,” Derek says.
WHAT MAKES FOR EFFECTIVE GR?
Derek offers these pro tips, which inform EDA’s GR activities and can help ensure productive interactions when members may need to reach out to government directly:
Patience – Politicians (especially senior ones and especially pre-election) have huge demands on their time. Don’t expect immediate responses and be ready to invest time and effort to build relationships.
Efficiency – Whether you ultimately get 10 minutes or one-hour of a decision-maker’s time, have a focused agenda of no more than three key items and be prepared to address them concisely.
Listen & Align – All politicians have their platforms, political agendas and other marching orders. Learn in advance and listen carefully to understand what they care about, and to find alignment with your asks.
ABOUT DEREK
An EDA veteran, Derek has held progressively more senior positions over 10-plus years in the PGCA department. He is also corporate secretary to the EDA’s board of directors. While his one-year-old and three-year-old sons take up a lot of his off hours, Derek is active in his community and sits on the Township of King’s Sustainability Committee. He lives not only in convenient commuting proximity to the EDA offices (in non-virtual times), but less than a 10-minute walk from 11 immediate family members. Members can reach Derek at dnardone@eda-on.ca or 905-265-5348.
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BUILDING BRIDGES
THE IMPORTANCE OF IT/OT CONVERGENCE FOR UTILITIES
For over a decade, traditional IT (Information Technology) systems have been integrated to some extent with OT (Operational Technology) systems; however, in recent years this phenomenon has grown substantially across many LDCs. There are many unique challenges that IT/ OT convergence presents and along with these challenges come many benefits.
While many LDCs have adopted IT/OT convergence and realized the benefits, there are still several organizations that are slow and, in many cases, hesitant to implement IT/OT convergence projects. Where certain organizations, or sectors such as health care, have adopted this management practice, they have seen improved data security, operational efficiencies and cost savings across the organization benefitting both internal staff and customers alike.
WHAT UNIQUE CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES DO LDCS FACE ON IT/OT CONVERGENCE?
With the convergence of IT and OT, we are seeing many unique challenges in the power sector and similar challenges in other industries as well. Some of the key challenges we are seeing include:
• Security Challenges: As IT and OT networks become more and more integrated, protecting these networks becomes an increasingly complex problem. Fifty-six per cent of organizations using industrial control systems (ICS) experience a breach in their OT Systems (Forrester and Fortinet 2019) which can initiate in IT and propagate to OT or vice versa. So organizations need to ensure that security is embedded across both environments. As well, managing IT and OT devices and their associated
TO LEARN MORE, REACH OUT TO:
Austin Creighton Senior Manager, Cyber Security
Austin.
Creighton@ ca.gt.com
Peter Morin Principal, National Cyber Security Leader
Peter.Morin@ ca.gt.com
security becomes increasingly complex as these environments become more integrated.
• IT, as compared to OT, has seen many technological and innovative changes over the last decade, especially as many organizations begin to move to the cloud. OT environments have not seen the same improvements and many legacy applications and technologies still exists. This can lead to device communication issues as OT devices tend to have access to less complex and inherently insecure protocols and access controls and are prone to repudiation-related attacks.
• Team Challenges: Historically, especially from an operations and security standpoint, IT and OT teams have differing experience and education and given their roles, they function very differently. With IT/OT convergence, we are seeing a lot of these problems first-hand in the power sector when trying to merge these different cultures and perspectives. Thus, the real challenge is aligning these two groups with a vastly different set of priorities, processes, and technologies. Specifically, this involves taking advantage of the broad skillset that each group has to offer, and
sharing knowledge between the teams to create a cohesive cybersecurity team.
• Third Party Challenges: Traditionally OT involves the need to integrate with many third-party vendors that are responsible for providing support. This has introduced extra layers of potential cybersecurity risks, which if left untreated could potentially lead to cybersecurity risk events such a safety incident, customer data breach or even loss of service. As cyber threats can potentially move laterally from IT to OT, or vice versa, organizations need to have a good cybersecurity third-party risk-management program in place to address the risks that are associated with working with third-party suppliers.
WHAT BENEFITS WILL THE ORGANIZATION AND CUSTOMERS SEE BECAUSE OF IT/OT CONVERGENCE?
The solutions that exist to the unique challenges that we
find in IT/OT convergence, can lead to beneficial outcomes for both the organization and customers. As mentioned, while traditionally IT and OT have different approaches and responsibilities with respect to security, by having these teams work together, an organization can both improve its operational standards and security orchestration, as well as gain a holistic view into cyber risk across entire operations. IT/OT convergence can allow organizations to bring best IT security practices into OT. For example, device and patch management traditionally in IT relies on patch management programs whereas in OT, it is typically performed more ad-hoc or is vendor driven. As well, monitoring systems can be implemented across IT and OT, to again, have a better view into the entire environment and all the risks that exist. This also supports an improved cybersecurity program and cyber risk management by improving visibility into IT and OT security and incorporating IT and OT systems into the overall cyber risk management strategy.
ONE YEAR INTO THE OEB’s NEW STRUCTURE
Submitted by the Ontario Energy Board
About a year ago, on October 1, 2020, the Ontario Energy Board officially set out on its journey to enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. At that time, new CEO Susanna Zagar committed to engaging broadly and investing in relationships as a foundation for building trust.
“Transparency is key,” says Zagar. “We are committed to providing clear insight about the steps we’re taking to advance our modernization.”
Here’s a summary of accomplishments in the past year demonstrating the OEB’s actions to deliver meaningful change:
• Conducted an independent, full financial review of its operations and acted swiftly on recommenda -
The OEB’s presence on LinkedIn earned more than 75,000 impressions in the past quarter alone.
tions and developed a roadmap for implementation; within the first six months, developed a suite of corporate planning documents: 5-year Strategic Plan, 3-year rolling Business Plan, Chief Commissioner Plan and Top Quartile Regulator Report which was informed by insights from the successful, first-ever OEB Symposium. These foundational documents have guided the OEB’s work through the course of this past year to evolve toward being a top quartile regulator, driving the energy sector, protecting the public and facilitating innovation, and they will continue to serve as a guide.
• Supported and operationalized the new governance and stewardship structure at the OEB, creating instruments of governance including new by-laws and establishing competency grids and capacity maps for key positions.
• Created the Board of Directors’ Adjudication Committee, which will assist the OEB in achieving tribunal excellence with respect to the independence, efficiency, timeliness and dependability of the hearing process.
• Developed a stakeholder engagement framework which formalized the OEB’s commitment to deep and continuous
engagement with industry partners and involves annual stakeholder surveys, to help gauge progress since the first survey issued a year ago.
• Established new stakeholder forums including Energy [X] Change and the Adjudicative Modernization Committee which meet regularly and are enablers of OEB modernization. The members provide important advice, input and feedback on OEB strategic priorities, regulatory policy development and enhanced adjudicative processes.
• Held a successful Policy Day, which provided valuable sector input to inform the OEB’s next business planning cycle and policy prioritization while improving transparency for, and accountability to, regulated entities.
• Adopted a Digital First strategy to build a virtual environment and establish better electronic platforms for engaging with stakeholders. Among other initiatives, the strategy includes an overhaul of the OEB website and making more effective use of the data that’s collected.
• Communicated early, and often, using a multi-channel strategy to share progress updates with the sector through in-person meetings, direct letters, articles in key industry publications and by ramping up the OEB’s presence on LinkedIn, which earned more than 75,000 impressions in the past quarter alone.
• Made significant progress in driving effectiveness through a range of initiatives, launching virtual hearings and hosting 29 proceedings spanning 81 virtual event days as well as the OEB’s first-ever virtual hearing live streamed on YouTube. Moved to digital applications and supported
Susanna Zagar, CEO, Ontario Energy Board
“Transparency is key, we are committed to providing clear insight about the steps we’re taking to advance our modernization.”
implementation of the Chief Commissioner Plan to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, improving the process for filing Reporting and Record-keeping Requirements. Established new performance standards to create certainty in the process and posted case schedules on the OEB website for major applications to allow participants to easily track the progress of their case.
While carrying out its ambitious modernization agenda, the OEB remains squarely focused on protecting consumers, advancing policy work in the areas of Distributed Energy Resource connections, the regional planning process review and moving the Framework for Energy Innovation program forward while advancing the Sandbox 2.0, consulting with small distributors on filing requirements and supporting Ontario’s initiatives like Green Button implementation.
“This has been a year of significant change at the OEB, but we know there is much more to do,” says Zagar. “Guided by our strategic themes of accountability, certainty, effectiveness, efficiency, independence and innovation, we will continue to operate transparently and have meaningful engagement with those we regulate and the people of Ontario whom we collectively serve.”
EDA: HERE TO DELIVER FOR OUR MEMBERS
As our members provide unparalleled service to Ontarians, the EDA is here to deliver a strong return on your membership dues by advancing your interests, advocating for the policies that will best enable you to serve your customers, and providing you with high-value support in all of your future endeavours.
In September, the EDA released a 2021 Year in Review video and digital guide, quantifying Q1-Q3 performance results, along with commentary from our President & CEO, Board Chair, and select LDC members. Key among the highlights is a quantification by one of the leading global accounting firms, which pegs the return the EDA delivers on member fees paid at a 9:1 value proposition.
Join the EDA and increase your company’s profile and brand recognition with key decision makers in the electricity distribution sector. Improve high value leads with local distribution companies and improve your ROI on marketing costs.
Contact Marica Macura, the EDA’s Director, Member Relations at mmacura@eda-on.ca to learn more about membership and sponsorship opportunities.
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TO HIGH-VALUE NETWORKING, INSIGHTS AND EXPERTISE AT DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POWERED BY WOMEN CONNECTED
The EDA’s networking and professional development offerings continue to provide members with valuable opportunities to connect with each other and to relevant learnings. While we look forward to in-person events again, the EDA has proven its ability to pivot and to deliver compelling virtual events with creative ways to network and come together. Get the most up-to-date event information and registration details at: eda-on.ca/EVENTS
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POWERED BY WOMEN CONNECTED - November 25
It’s your last chance to join us virtually at the EDA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Powered by Women Connected for a full day of DEI learnings, content and networking. Even in a virtual world, we will have “networking tables” available for all to join and connect during the scheduled breaks. Hear from professionals and subject matter experts from a wide range of companies. The agenda includes timely panel discussions on combatting systemic racism, overcoming unconscious bias, and on how leadership can change the diversity conversation.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
OPENING KEYNOTE: SUSANNA ZAGAR, CEO OF THE ONTARIO ENERGY
BOARD
Suzanna Zagar, CEO of the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) will kick-off the day as our opening keynote. With a mandate to drive modernization, enhance trust and accountability and deliver public value for the people of Ontario, Susanna became CEO in October 2020. She understands that the OEB must be more than a prudent regulator: it must support Ontario’s growing and shifting economy and it must earn the trust of the regulated community and the public it serves. Susanna is an accomplished executive with a commitment to public service, a drive for strategic transformation, and a bias towards practical solutions which deliver meaningful outcomes. Over three decades, she has held progressively more senior roles, most recently as a Chief Officer at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board and the Associate Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure.
PANEL DISCUSSION ON UNCONSCIOUS
BIAS
Unconscious bias refers to the relations that are made between different qualities and social categories such race, gender or disability and are judgements that are made without conscious awareness. These automatic
preferences or stereotypes are a major contributor to a lack of workplace diversity. Join our moderator Stuart Sherman, CEO, IMC and our ultra-talented group of panelists: Sarita Naa Akuye Addy PhD, Manager, Learning & Knowledge Solutions, Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion; Lisa Knight, Managing Partner, LLH Knightsbridge; and Pamela Jeffery, Founder, The Prosperity Project as they discuss unconscious bias in the workplace and remedies to mitigate those biases.
SILVIA GONZALEZ-ZAMORA, NATIONAL INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY PRACTICE LEADER, KPMG
Silvia’s session is entitled How Social Impact Will Affect Business, and she will speak to how major headlines such as the #MeTooMovement, Black Lives Matter and Indigenous reconciliation have led prominent companies and management to evaluate their current practices and their social impact efforts. This Fulbright Scholar is a seasoned consultant with 20 years of experience in human resources, talent, data governance, and change management. She has specialized in gender equity, respect, and anti-racism for over 17 years.
HEATHER KLEB, DIRECTOR, NEXT GENERATION AND NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, BRUCE POWER
Nuclear technology is set to play a major role in Canada’s clean energy future. New technologies such as small modular reactors and fusion energy are enabling sustainable communities. Heather has over two decades of experience working on multi-million-dollar projects in the forestry, mining, oil and gas, and nuclear industries. In recent years, Heather has assumed the positions of Director, Regulatory Affairs, Vice President, and Interim President and CEO of the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA). Heather subsequently joined Bruce Power, where she held the position of Department Manager, Operations Regulatory Affairs before assuming her current role of Director, Next Generation Nuclear Technology.
Register today and view the full agenda here at www.eda-on.ca/EVENTS/Women-Connected.
A 2022 RETURN TO IN-PERSON EVENTS
The EDA is pleased to announce we will be back to in-person events consistent with local and provincial protocols next year. Save the dates because the following 2022 events will provide members with access to relevant learning and engagement opportunities.
EDIST 2022 – January 19-21
EDIST (Electricity, Distribution, Information Systems & Technology Conference & Exhibition) will take place in-person at the Hilton Toronto/ Markham Suites Conference Centre. This year’s theme is Leading a Bold New Narrative, and it promises high-value insights on unique and innovative solutions that have delivered value for customers and shareholders. Plus, there will be lots of engagement with your peers and participantexhibitor interaction. Check back for registration and agenda details at www.eda-on.ca/EVENTS/EDIST.
EDA AGM & AWARDS GALA
March 30
We are back to the Fairmont Royal York for our annual general meeting as well as our awards gala to celebrate the excellence that abounds throughout the distribution sector. Stay tuned for more details on this widely attended event within our industry.
WEBINAR SERIES – Throughout Year
Stay tuned for more details on our 2022 virtual webinars with noted experts who will deliver actionable insights on current issues, research and best practices relevant to the sector.
CUEE 2022 – September 13-14
The CUEE (Canadian Utility Engineering and Equipment) Trade Show and Marketplace is set to return in-person on September 13-14, 2022. This signature event will be back across more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space at Mississauga’s International Centre.
In the meantime, check out the online CUEE Digital Buyer’s Marketplace – your one-stop-shop for everything equipment and more. Visit CUEE.ca today!
ENERCOM – Virtual, TBC
This preeminent distribution-sector event combines insights on emerging trends and technical issues, and will continue with a virtual, four-part speaker series in 2022 featuring engaging global speakers.
For more information on our networking and professional development opportunities, please contact Marica Macura, the EDA’s Director, Member Relations at mmacura@eda-on.ca.
For EDA in-person events, all health and safety procedures will be implemented to ensure full compliance with all public health guidelines in place at the time.
EDIST 2022: LEADING A BOLD NEW NARRATIVE REGISTER & PLAN TO ATTEND
We’re thrilled to announce that the EDA will be back in-person for our EDIST (Electricity Distribution, Information Systems and Technology) Conference & Exhibition at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre on January 19-21, 2022.
The EDIST Conference & Exhibition presents optimal opportunities to:
• Share technical knowledge
• Network with some of the top engineering, operational and IT specialists
• Learn about the latest technological advances that impact the electricity sector
EDIST is the sector’s premier technical education event, addressing critical engineering, operational, IT and management issues faced by Ontario’s local electricity distribution companies. It promises highvalue insights on unique solutions that have delivered value for customers and shareholders. Plus, there will be unparalleled opportunities to network with your peers and for participant-exhibitor interaction.
JANUARY 19-21, 2022
HILTON TORONTO/MARKHAM SUITES CONFERENCE CENTRE
CHARITY OFFERS FAMILY HEALING AFTER WORKRELATED TRAGEDY
It was a civic holiday weekend when Elisa’s world stopped. Elisa’s son Jeremy was working erecting party tents to earn money for university. On the 6:00 p.m. news Elisa heard something about an incident – someone had been killed putting up a tent for a wedding. In her head she started making excuses for why Jeremy hadn’t come home or even texted yet. But at 8:00 p.m. police officers at her door confirmed her worst fears: Jeremy had been electrocuted when a tent pole contacted an overhead line. Her son was dead.
“Instead of celebrating the long weekend with friends,” she says, “we now had a house full of family and friends coming by to support and help us pick up the pieces.”
“August 1, 2013, became a defining date… our life before Jeremy’s death and new life after.”
As she emerged from the shock of those first weeks and months, Elisa started looking for support in her grief.
“I desperately needed help, someone I could talk to who would fully understand what I was going through,” she says. The help she found was Threads of Life – the Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support. For families like Elisa’s, living in the aftermath of a work-related fatality, life-altering injury or an occupational disease, Threads of Life provides information and connection. Elisa was connected to another mom whose son had
been killed on the job, and who was a trained volunteer listener. Threads of Life also offers opportunities to learn healthy coping skills through online workshops and in-person weekend events.
As a national Canadian charity, Threads of Life counts on the leadership of companies and organizations committed to health and safety and to Canadian families. They assist by:
• Spreading the word to people who need support
• Increasing participation in Threads of Life programs and events
• Facilitating volunteerism
• Growing Threads of Life’s funding Jeremy’s death changed Elisa’s life forever. But through Threads of Life she has found healing and hope. She now volunteers to provide peer support to others coping with tragedy, and shares her personal story through the Threads of Life speaker’s bureau. It has been a hard journey, she says, but today she is able to “balance some joy” back into her life.
You can help families like Elisa’s. Learn more about how to get involved by visiting https://threadsoflife.ca/ or contact Threads of Life Director of Partnerships Scott McKay at 888-567-9490 or smckay@threadsoflife.ca.
Jeremy
THE 4 D’s
This terminological quartet has been around for at least several years, but you’ve probably encountered “The Four D’s” more often lately. Sometimes described as the driving forces that are shaping the electricity sector, they are frequently used in discussions of the status and future direction of the system-wide transformation that’s underway. To put a finer point on things, we asked four individuals from EDA members and sponsors to each briefly unpack one of the Four D’s.
Ontario has one of the cleanest grids in Canada, but customers and communities with Net Zero goals wish to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions even further and install their own renewable energy systems such as solar. Alectra connected over 250 GWh of customergenerated renewable energy in 2020 alone. This contributes to DECARBONISATION and continues to ensure the
electricity we distribute on the grid is low-carbon. One of the largest contributors to GHGs in Ontario is from transportation, and our sector is enabling electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Through technologies and programs delivered by our GRE&T Centre –AlectraDrive@Work and AlectraDrive@Home – Alectra is enhancing the EV charging network to speed the switch to EVs.
– Brian Bentz, President & CEO, Alectra
Ontario is the ideal point of convergence of the four D’s. Clean energy accounts for more than 90 per cent of its electricity supply. On digitalization, emerging technology platforms are capable of tying grid, DER and customer-specific data together into a ‘virtual power plant’ that can ramp up generation, reduce or delay non-essential consumption, store or sell energy to the grid, and ‘island’ a premise in the event of a grid failure. Ontario’s LDCs
represent a robust foundation for a decentralized customer-centered grid. The truly exciting space now is that last mile, in which LDCs and customers leverage the first three D’s to co-manage the system. With a greater diversity of participants and customer choice, that makes for a DEMOCRATIZED – and to some degree de-regulated – grid.
DIGITIZATION is the irreversible process that will help Ontario’s LDCs create operational efficiencies through data-driven insights. Digitization is the prerequisite for business process automation and analytics. Most Ontario LDCs have implemented some level of descriptive analytics. However, only a few have barely tapped into the power of predictive and prescriptive analytics to create tools and processes required for advanced outage management, fully automated billing, condition-based asset management, advanced distribution system management, and AI-driven customer service. These LDCs will harvest the power of data to improve service reliability, operational efficiencies, and grid flexibility. Data-driven and automated processes will free up their human resources to evolve a traditional utility into an energy services company.
– Miroslav Karlicic, Director, Business Development & Innovation, Utilismart
DECENTRALIZATION means a transition away from centralized generation facilities that deliver electricity on a “one-way” basis and toward a customer-empowered system. Distributed Energy Resources, such as rooftop solar, batteries, electric vehicles, appliance and buildings themselves will be integrated with the grid. Financial and physical networks will provide real-time price signals for customers to consume, produce, store and conserve energy for (and from) themselves, their neighbours and the system operator. Renewable, storage and demand management resources will be available on various scales. Energy management software with predictive and artificial intelligence capabilities will enable moment-by-moment energy transactions. This level of integration will disrupt current electricity markets and facilitate increased economic efficiencies and net-zero energy consumption.
– Ron Clark, Partner, Aird & Berlis
Innovating Inspections
The way assets are inspected and managed has changed. Project tracking, image capture, GPS coordinates and GIS integration are all in the palm of your hand. Look to OEC’s companies to take your organization’s asset data into the future.
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