Canada Invests in Next-Generation Electrical Upgrades in Southern Ontario

COBOURG, ON, March 13, 2019 /CNW/ - Energy efficiency helps families save money, makes businesses more competitive and creates a cleaner environment for future generations. The Government of Canada is taking action by investing in technology that will make our electric systems more efficient and prepare us for a clean energy future.

Member of Parliament for Northumberland–Peterborough South Kim Rudd, on behalf of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, today announced a $164,000 investment to strengthen the reliability of Ontario's electricity grid and cut pollution.

Led by Lakefront Utilities, the project involves the installation of a Digital Utility Platform to run the electricity grid more strategically. This tool will automatically identify outages, manage increased demand due to the growing use of electric vehicles and better integrate more renewable energy into the grid.

The funding will support a 24/7 monitoring system to help prevent power outages, improve response times and reduce the number of service calls that require a crew to be sent out to investigate. It will also improve overall system efficiency by identifying overloaded transformers. E-billing will be available through a mobile application, which will also support customers in their energy conservation efforts by supplying tips and detailed explanations of their electricity bills.

Quotes

"Investing in green infrastructure is critical to making our communities strong and sustainable. Working with industry to build cleaner, safer, better-connected electricity systems will improve service delivery and encourage customers to reduce energy use."

Kim Rudd
Member of Parliament for Northumberland–Peterborough South

"As a leader in creating a green energy future, Lakefront Utilities is pleased to be an active partner in building a reliable, cost-effective electrical system that brings value to our customers and shareholders."

Dereck Paul
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lakefront Utilities Inc.

Quick Facts:

• Federal funding for this project is provided by Natural Resources Canada's Smart Grid Program, which provides investments to utilities to reduce pollution and better use existing electricity assets while encouraging innovation. The Smart Grid Program is part of the Government of Canada's more than $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.
• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes and Canada's rural and northern communities.

Associated Links:

• Smart Grid Program  
• Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
• Investing in Canada Plan Project Map
• Simply Science

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Media Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 343-292-6100, [e-mail]; Vanessa Adams, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Natural Resources, 343-543-7645, [e-mail]

Related Links

www.nrcan.gc.ca