Current Affairs

"In an emergency, it's all hands on deck"

We expect the worst when hurricane season comes, but even then, the devastation caused by tropical storm Fiona far exceeded even those expectations. The storm hit the east coast with heavy rain and winds of over 170 km/h that left hundreds of thousands across the Atlantic provinces without power, $300 to $700 million worth of insured losses to the local economy, several injured, and a few dead. It has been also estimated that infrastructure restoration could take months.

Fiona also hit the electricity grid hard. At least 500,000 customers throughout the Altantic provinces had no power.

Since then, power has largely been restored to the majority of affected customers thanks, in part, to the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance Group (NAMAG). This group works to connect electricity providers needing help repairing their grid with neighboring utilities that can spare personnel and resources.

As of last week, Nova Scotia Power received assistance from electricity providers in Canada and the U.S. including:

Versant Power: a supervisor, 15 line workers and two mechanics from Bangor, Maine
Central Maine Power: Sixteen two-person crews along with 10 additional support personnel are heading north with 14 bucket trucks and two digger trucks
Hydro Ottawa: 15 power line technicians, a crew supervisor, safety partner, fleet mechanic, and 10 vehicles, including five bucket trucks and two radial boom derricks
“When an emergency occurs, it's all hands on deck,” said Electricity Canada President and CEO Francis Bradley in a recent interview with POLITICO. “It doesn't matter where you are, we send crews to wherever they're needed in those emergencies.”

Other stories

• Electricity Canada appears in Parliamentary committee
• Electricity Canada appears at Senate committee
• Francis Bradley participates in an Energy Transition panel
• Ottawa looks to push provinces to modernize electricity grids
• Electricity Human Resources Canada’s Agents of Change 2022 is fast approaching!
• Smart Grid Innovation Network's Energy Innovation Forum
• Electricity Canada Publishes a Framework for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
• Global electricity leaders call to action
• Hydro One launches industry-leading 50-50 equity model with First Nations
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes

Electricity Canada submits feedback on Clean Electricity Regulations.

On August 22nd, Electricity Canada submitted feedback to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) on the proposed Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) – formerly called Clean Electricity Standard. Aside from their goal of a clean, affordable, and reliable grid, the Department released few details about the proposed regulation.

We do know that the rules will require some fossil-fueled electricity generating units to install carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) by 2035, or will otherwise shut down. Exactly how ECCC will define which units will be subject to those rules is still not clear.

Since the last comment period on the CER in April 2022, ECCC has indicated that it will exempt all non-grid connected generation – a recommendation submitted by Electricity Canada.

The Department has also indicated that it is aware of the need for natural gas generation for reliability purposes, and that the regulation will be focused on high-emitting use cases and would continue to allow for applications such as units with low utilization that help to respond to high demand periods.

With the draft regulations coming before the end of 2022, there is likely less than a month remaining before departmental staff begin their approval processes. The shortened time frame may lead to more significant changes between the publication of the draft regulations in Canada Gazette 1 this year, and the final regulations in Canada Gazette 2 sometime in 2023.

For more information, please contact Jay Wilson at wilson@electricity.ca

Other stories

• Electricity Canada Submits Comments to Public Safety Canada
• 'Electricity Fundamentals in Canada' Student Enrolment Surpasses 1,000!
• Electricity Canada President and CEO delivers remarks to the Conference Board of Canada
• Electricity Canada releases the annual report on distribution system performance for electric utilities
• North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Summer Board Meeting
• Significant U.S. Funding for Clean Energy
• Canada-Germany Hydrogen Announcement
• Electricity Canada welcomes two new Corporate Partners
• Annual Alberta Power Symposium
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes

Electricity Canada Celebrates National Lineworker Appreciation Day!

Every day, lineworkers across Canada work to keep electricity flowing into our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. They are the highly trained men and women who work on installing and maintaining the complex grid across cities, provinces, and territories.

Often faced with working in extreme conditions, lineworkers are trained to work efficiently, safely, and collaboratively to keep the lights on. And every year on July 10th, Electricity Canada and our membership celebrate National Lineworker Appreciation Day.

With electricity becoming more and more important on the road to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the work lineworkers do becomes even more important.

It is estimated that Canada will need to produce up to two to three times as much clean power as it does now to meet these goals. Lineworkers have always been on the front lines of every storm, wildfire, or pandemic, and work to maintain and repair the grid that powers essential services. And now, they will be on the front lines to help electricity become the primary energy source.

In recognition of National Lineworker Appreciation Day, Electricity Canada created a video in collaboration with Hydro Ottawa, featuring footage of the May 21st derecho, resulting in over 350,000 outages across Ontario and Quebec.

WATCH NOW!

Other stories

• Clean Electricity Regulations
• Electricity Canada Successful in Attaining New Mobile Network Code (MNC) Designation
• Volunteer Board of Director(s) for Women of Powerline Technicians
• Public Safety Canada Renews National Cyber Security Strategy
• Final Call for Electricity Canada's Reliability & Resiliency Award
• Final Call for Electricity Canada's Lifesaving Award
• Canada Opens Call for Carbon Capture RD&D Projects
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes
• Francis Bradley joins KUBRA's Experience Better: The CX Podcast

Electricity Fundamentals in Canada Off and Running!

Electricity Fundamentals in Canada (EFiC) is a unique post-secondary level course, launched by Electricity Canada in May 2022. The course provides a high level, cross cutting overview of the entire electricity industry, ranging from nomenclature, technologies, issues, challenges, and the future. Electricity Canada is uniquely positioned to offer this course that provides the fundamentals for those who work in the energy sector.

The course is available in both English and French, is computer based, modular, self-paced, and runs on an online Learning Management System in a “see it, do it, know it” format, complete with testing and scoring!

EFiC will be of special interest to everyone working in Canada’s electricity system, including electric utilities, service providers, and vendors along with all levels of government, regulators, indigenous communities, educational institutions, electricians, and individuals with a general interest in electricity.

Prepared in layman’s terms and with no prerequisite study required, EFiC offers all the tools necessary to provide a comprehensive overview of how the electricity system in Canada works.

“I loved the course. I was not that familiar with the industry, and I found the course extremely well done. It had a nice flow, provided enough explanation to a novice to learn about the industry and the processes, and it prompted me to review the material to be able to answer the assessment questions at the end. Well done!" - Certified EFiC Graduate.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EFIC HERE.

Other stories

• Electricity Canada's Washington Policy Forum
• Electricity Canada advocates for flexibility with Measurement Canada on EVs
• Electricity Canada President and CEO appears before the HoC Standing Committee on Science and Research
• Electricity Canada Advocates for More Clarity on Fisheries Policy
• Electricity Canada Welcomes Senator Deacon’s Speech on Regulatory Modernization
• Canada’s Electricity Sector Powers Up For Ukraine
• Electricity Canada President and CEO presents at CAMPUT
• Ontario Mutual Assistance Program Activation
• EVCx Forum Rolling Along!
• National Electricity Month
• Reliability and Resiliency Award
• Lifesaving Award
• Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System Offsets
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes

Devastating derecho hitsOntario-Quebec

Reliability and resiliency are important to electricity providers, both of which were put to the test on Saturday, May 21 when a devastating windstorm called a derecho, left over a million customers across Ontario and Quebec without power.

Electricity Canada’s Ontario Mutual Assistance program was on the case right away. By 8 p.m. that Saturday, electricity providers in Ontario were on a call facilitated by Electricity Canada, assessing which electricity companies needed assistance in repairing their grid, and connecting with neighbouring utilities that could provide personnel and resources. These calls continued throughout the week after the derecho - and more assistance was deployed where requested.

Most utilities keep spare quantities of poles and cables and even transformers at the ready for a situation where they are needed. But even so, this storm stretched everyone’s limits. Hydro One needed over 1,600 poles, Hydro Ottawa needed 200+. By comparison, the tornadoes in the Ottawa region in 2018 only destroyed 80 poles. Consequently, the storm will put further pressure on supply chain as we move from flooding season to wildfire season.

The majority of those affected by the derecho had power restored within the week, and the remainder was slowly restored the following week. Nevertheless, we need to be continuously ready for more extreme weather due to climate change. This will not be easy: supply chain and labour issues will make this more difficult, especially as the federal government has mandated that we achieve a Net Zero electricity grid by 2035, a mere 4,957 days away.

Other stories

• Electricity Fundamentals in Canada
  
• National Electricity Month
  

• Electricity Canada on the ground in DC

• Electricity Canada appeared before the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee
  
• Electricity Canada appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce
  
• President & CEO of Electricity Canada, Francis Bradley, on the need for a reliable electricity grid
  
• Electricity Canada and the Canadian Gas Association Respond to the Draft EIFEL Legislation
  
• Reaffirming Electricity Canada’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  
• Reliability and Resiliency Award
• Lifesaving Award
• Regulatory Forum on Net Zero 2035 & 2050
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes

Electricity Canada Launches The Grid Magazine: The Accelerate Issue

Electricity Canada is proud to release the 2022 edition of our annual magazine The Grid.

The Grid is one of the many ways we share the latest electricity sector news and trends with our members, partners, government, and other stakeholders as a way to educate on the sector’s priorities and advocate on its behalf.

Accelerate – the theme for 2022 – was inspired by the sense of urgency that we feel right now, as Canada’s ambitious climate goals loom closer and closer. With targets of a 2035 Net Zero electricity grid, and a 2050 Net Zero economy rapidly approaching, the clock is ticking and decisions that affect Our Energy Future must be made faster than ever before.

The Grid features stories, op-eds, and thought leadership pieces from our members, staff, and guest contributors.

Electricity Canada would like to thank our member contributors from Alectra Utilities, AltaLink, Capital Power, Elexicon Energy, ENMAX, FortisAlberta, Hydro Ottawa, Liberty Utilities, NB Power, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, Ontario Power Generation, and TC Energy.

A special shout-out to our guest authors: Michelle Branigan from Electricity Human Resources Canada, and Matthew Klippenstein from the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association.

READ NOW!

Other stories

• Federal Government Releases Budget 2022
• Electricity Canada Holds First Hill Day in Two Years
• Electricity Canada Submits Comments on the Clean Electricity Standard (CES)
• Energy Sector Calls for National Regulatory Task Force
• Electricity Canada Comments on FERC Dynamic Line Ratings Proposal
• Electricity Canada's President and CEO Francis Bradley speaks about a Net Zero grid to Parliamentary press gallery
• FortisAlberta receives Sustainable Electricity Company designation from Electricity Canada
• Electricity Canada celebrates Earth Day
• Electricity Canada Presents: DataBytes