Hydro Ottawa Named 2012 Large Company of the Year by OEA

OTTAWA, Oct. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Hydro Ottawa has been named the 2012 Large Company of the Year in the Ontario energy sector by the Ontario Energy Association (OEA).

The award recognizes Hydro Ottawa's achievements in key business areas such as financial operations, customer service, distribution operations and energy production, corporate social responsibility, environmental leadership, and human resources management.

"I am very proud to accept this award on behalf of Hydro Ottawa," said President and CEO Bryce Conrad. "It reflects an unwavering commitment to performance excellence and continuous improvement that is shared by our more than 600 dedicated employees and our Boards of Directors."

Highlights of the accomplishments recognized by the award include:

• Hydro Ottawa has consistently exceeded its net income and dividend projections, while growing shareholder value by more than $135 million over the last four years and keeping distribution rates affordable for its more than 305,000 customers and achieving high levels of supply reliability.
  
  
• In 2011, the company was recognized with the Customer Service Excellence Award of the Electricity Distributors Association, for the use of technology to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction - including services such as a web customer service portal, MyHydroLink, and the success of other electronic services such as e-billing and the pre-authorized payment plan.
  
  
• Hydro Ottawa's commitment to employee safety, training and development, and employee engagement has also been recognized - Hydro Ottawa was named one of the National Capital Region's Top Employers for the fourth consecutive year in 2012, and one of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in Canada for the third year in a row.
  
  
• The company made numerous energy-efficiency upgrades to its facilities, made its vehicle fleet greener, and helped its customers to save nearly 600 million kilowatt hours over the past six years - enough to power almost 60,000 homes for a year - and is the largest generator of green electricity in eastern Ontario with a growing portfolio of hydroelectric and landfill gas-to-energy stations.  For the second consecutive year, Hydro Ottawa was selected as one of Canada's 2012 Greenest Employers.
  
  
• The company increased its United Way contribution by 7 percent in 2011 through employee pledges, corporate matching gifts and fundraising events, and was recognized with a Community Builder's Award by the United Way.
  
  
• The Brighter Tomorrow's Fund supported 12 frontline Ottawa agencies that serve people who are homeless, or at risk of being homeless, by granting over $134,000 for 17 energy-efficiency projects.

"Our recent achievements have built a strong foundation to grow our business in future years," said Mr. Conrad.  "Our goal is to become one of Canada's most successful integrated utilities."

About Hydro Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) owns and operates two subsidiary companies, Hydro Ottawa Limited and Energy Ottawa Inc. Hydro Ottawa Limited is the third-largest municipally-owned electrical utility in Ontario, serving more than 305,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman. Energy Ottawa Inc., Ottawa's largest producer of green power, generates renewable energy and provides commercial energy-management services.

SOURCE: Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

For further information:

Contact:
Claudia Lemieux
Manager, Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: [phone] ext. 7684
[e-mail]
Cell: 613-552-0382