Are you dreading the thought of winter storms and losing power? It seems there may be some good news on the horizon. According to Dave Price, Hydro One’s Zone Superintendent with Forestry Services, things are and will continue to get a lot better thanks to a $20 million investment on line work in this region.
Why now?
I think it’s a result of the feedback that we were getting from customers, from the municipalities of Huntsville, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge. The reliability issues have been ongoing. Kimberly-Clark complained about some power quality issues… so we got together and asked, what are the things we can do to improve that reliability?Hydro One’s Zone Superintendent with Forestry Services Dave Price
Up until last year about 20 per cent of the lines which feed electricity to this region, which includes the District of Parry Sound and Muskoka as well as transmission into Algonquin Provincial Park, were not being cleared in the preferred eight-year cycle due to a lack of funding. Price said in 2015 Hydro One presented the Ontario Energy Board with a vegetation management plan to clear up the back log in the province, but it was rejected.
A new direction
“So we changed course and focused more on a provincial reliability program,” said Price. “This year we decided to use a total priority-based model, so what are the worst performing feeders in the province and how many resources can we mobilize in the province to focus on those feeds?” Price said out of the 20 worst feeder lines identified, 12 are in this region and in the past year alone there were about 400 power outages as a result of downed trees in the region. “We are focused on the feeds that are most important priority wise and we are going to reduce outages,” he assured.
What will $20 million do in this area?
The bulk of the $20 million is being spent on bringing in more linemen and equipment to the area in order to catch up on forestry work, putting in fault indicators to reduce the time it takes to restore power, and improving line protection, explained Price. He said in a normal year of line clearing in this area, Hydro One would clear about 350 kilometers of line, but this year it plans on clearing about 1,100 kilometers. “We’ve already cleared over 700 kilometers and we just brought another 120 workers in.” He said Hydro One will continue investing heavily in this area over the next few years to get to a level which will make maintenance easier.
Some of the challenges
“Not only does the lack of herbicide use in this area create a challenge but now the beech tree disease is really slowing us down.” Price said 90 per cent of all the beech trees are expected to die in this region, which is creating significant removal challenges for Hydro One.
“We can’t climb them. We can’t work underneath them, so we put together a special crew just to remove those beech trees themselves. What happens with the beech tree disease is that it rots in the stem. The fungus gets in the tree, the birds go in and eat at it and then it creates a rot in the centre of the tree so we can’t predict which way it’s going to die, whereas many trees die from the top down.” He said the disease is spreading from Parry Sound through to Muskoka and it’s unfortunate. In terms of herbicides, Price said because most municipalities in this area do not want Hydro One using chemicals, they’re having to grind the underbrush along with the roots to slow down regrowth. He said it is definitely more labour intensive and harder to stem new growth. But he was also quick to point out that Hydro One crews understand the importance of trees to the area and don’t take cutting down trees lightly.
Are Hydro One crews getting a bad rap?
Bill Payne, Supervisor of Forestry in Huntsville who has been with the company for 41 years, said people don’t often realize some of challenges Hydro One crews face. He said trying to restore power in this heavily forested area particularly during storms caused by the lake effect off Georgian Bay, which often leaves felled trees in its wake, is not easy. He said some areas are accessible only by water, while others require helicopters to help identify where the damage is on a particular line as getting to it can often prove challenging particularly in heavily forested areas where there are no trails or roads leading to it. He said while he understands people are frustrated with the cost of electricity, they are misplacing their frustration by taking it out on Hydro One crews, who already work under often very challenging conditions.“People don’t realize that. It’s too easy to (say) oh darn those hydro guys, well, you don’t realize what we’re actually doing and the conditions we’re working in,” noted Payne.
Bill Payne (left), Supervisor of Forestry in Huntsville, and Dave Price, Hydro One’s Zone Superintendent with Forestry Services, are confident we’re going to start seeing fewer power outages starting this year.
He also talked about the toll some of the outages take on Hydro One crews who take pride in restoring power and who also feel a sense of urgency when power goes out. “I haven’t been home for the last three Christmases, I missed Easter again this year,” Payne said. He spoke about last Christmas Eve in Colborne. He was part of a restoration effort in that community when a lady come out of her house and told him that it would be her father’s last Christmas because he was dying of cancer. “She came out and talked to me about it so I went back and talked to the line foreman that I was working with… we just kept going. We did that work late into the evening and got it all back up,” he said.
“They’re doing the best they can with what they’ve got and they want to be supportive,” added Price of the linemen and forestry crews.
Payne also noted the danger of live wires and urged people to call any downed lines in and stay clear of them.
If you’ve lost power or want to report damage to a hydro line call 1-800-434-1235. You can also access Hydro One’s power outage map to find out where crews are working on restoring power in this region, how many people are impacted, and the estimated restoration time by clicking here.
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Yes, we are concerned about Hydro outages, but not necessarily the kind mentioned in this article. Our Hydro crews are now, and have ALWAYS been, the best, having to go out in the early morning hours, often in minus 20 degree temperatures to restore power to hundreds of homes. They definitely deserve to be paid well for all efforts extended to us.
The outages I am concerned about are the increasing number of disconnects being identified on social media due to lack of funds to pay the ever increasing Hydro rates. Hydro One issues inserts in their bills advising consumers how to conserve energy and reduce our costs, we follow their recommendations, their cash flow is reduced, and they go to the Ontario Energy Board to request (and get) a rate increase on our now reduced usage. Or, the latest issue from the OEB was that they had a “shortfall in funds”, therefore the rates will have to go up. Each of them blaming the other and we get the bill. Rural customers are hit hard with “Delivery Charges” that include heat loss due to distance, wind turbines and solar panels producing far less than originally stated, Smart Meters that AREN’T, and the lists go on and on. All decisions made by Hydro, forced on us, and failing. When will they be taking responsibility for their incorrect engineering decisions and stop penalizing consumers who can’t keep paying for their continuing mistakes? Horror stories of customers in need being disconnected, as well as exorbitant penalties to re-connect are numerous and daily on Social Media, and do little more than emphasize the lack of necessary testing on new products, the inadequacy of their computer billing systems, and the complete irresponsible attitude for customer welfare. Kathleen Wynne’s pathetic solution of reducing part of the tax is far too little and too late to make up for the past gouges we have incurred over the past couple of years, and the only thing that seemed to make her finally react on behalf of consumers was a by-election loss in Rough Hills. Thanks for giving us the solution to the problem! Expect it to happen again!
Thank you for ensuring delivery of Miz Wynne’s ridiculously overpriced hydro. Hope the workers get their fair share of the ripoff !
Hydro One crews recently finished line clearing on our Sinclair Road. Remembering previous “clearing” jobs we were a little apprehensive. What a great job! The roadside is “manicured”, it was seeded with clover and grasses. We have always been plagued with outages, but look forward to far fewer than before on our particular line. Thank you, Hydro One.
The hydro line guys are the very best! They are on the job in the worst conditions, and 24/7. If there were medals for that, they’d deserve them!