The District’s biggest energy providers are coming together to help improve the electricity system in Bracebridge.
On Wednesday, Hydro One and Lakeland Power announced they are developing solutions that will improve reliability in the area.
Hydro One will upgrade the power lines that serve Lakeland by increasing automation, line inspections and hazardous tree trimming to improve power reliability.
Hydro One is also proposing an alternate source of power to help reduce the frequency of power outages in Muskoka.
“We are very encouraged that Hydro One has taken these reliability issues seriously. They are committed to improving and are working on proposals that will considerably improve hydro service,” CEO, Lakeland Power Chris Litschko explained. “We now have momentum with a dedicated Hydro One team who are committed to finally resolving this issue.”
High-level discussions have been underway between the two energy providers for the past couple of weeks.
Chief Corporate Affairs and Customer Care Officer for Hydro One Jason Fitzsimmons says they’ve heard from Lakeland and their customers and are taking action to improve reliability in Bracebridge.
“Outages can disrupt people’s daily lives, businesses and productivity. Through these investments, Hydro One plans to provide more reliable power that the Bracebridge region is counting on.”
Currently, Bracebridge receives its electricity from two – 44,000-volt power lines originating from the Muskoka Transformer Station in Utterson.
The power lines run approximately 96 kilometres through rugged terrain and thick forest making them susceptible to the elements that cause power outages, including fallen trees, heavy snow, high winds and lightning.
The two lines connect into Lakeland Power’s electricity system supplying Bracebridge with power.