About Hydro Ottawa Group

Hydro Ottawa Group [‘Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.’] is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose strategic business lines include electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, energy solutions, telecommunications and utility services.

As a future-powered energy provider and partner in key green energy projects, the Hydro Ottawa Group is committed to innovation, community, and sustainability. It owns and operates four primary subsidiary companies that drive its vision for a dynamic energy future: Hydro Ottawa Limited – a local distribution company that delivers electricity to approximately 372,000 customers in Ottawa and Casselman; Portage Power – the largest municipally-owned producer of renewable energy in the province of Ontario with 131 megawatts of installed green generation capacity (enough to power 110,000 homes); Envari – an innovative energy solutions company offering products and services designed to improve energy efficiency and drive cost savings for municipalities, industrial and business clients, governments and utilities; and hiboo networks – a high-speed fibre optic network solutions and internet services company focused on powering a strong digital future by providing secure and scalable connectivity for customers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

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Our mission and vision

Our mission

To create long-term value for our shareholder, benefiting our customers and the communities we serve

Our organizational values

Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Service

Our vision

A leading partner in a smart energy future

Our key pillars

Leading innovation

Hydro Ottawa Group is driving energy innovation to directly enhance the quality of life in our community. We believe in a future powered by smart energy solutions that benefit everyone. Our commitment to innovation means developing and implementing cutting-edge technologies and approaches that lead to a more sustainable, reliable, and efficient energy future for all. We are proud to be at the forefront of building a brighter tomorrow through innovation.

Fostering community

Hydro Ottawa Group believes in leading beyond the corporate realm. We recognize our responsibility to actively empower the communities we serve, fostering goodwill and trust with every resident. By working diligently to create a better environment, we aim to contribute to a greater sense of wellness and stability throughout our communities. We are committed to being a strong local partner, dedicated to initiatives that strengthen and enrich the lives of those who live here.

Embracing sustainability

Hydro Ottawa Group is dedicated to building a sustainable future by leading the way in the energy transition. We are constantly seeking and implementing more sustainable solutions across all aspects of our operations, from power delivery and business retrofitting to exploring alternative energy sources and empowering our community through education on reducing individual carbon footprints. For us, leadership in creating a smarter energy future goes hand-in-hand with leadership in sustainability.

Governance Structure

Hydro Ottawa Group (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company, incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario). At the same time, the company is wholly owned by the City of Ottawa and fulfills a public mandate, and is therefore mindful of its responsibility to be accountable both to its shareholder and the public. The company’s governance practices are guided not simply by legal obligations, but by best business practices and standards established by independent agencies.

While Hydro Ottawa is not a reporting issuer under the Securities Act, and is therefore not subject to governance standards that apply to publicly-traded companies, the company is guided by these standards and seeks to meet or exceed them. In addition, Hydro Ottawa regularly compares its governance practices to those of private and public sector organizations, and to standards set by agencies such as the Canadian Securities Administrators and the Ontario Securities Commission.

Accountability for the effective oversight of the Corporation and its subsidiaries rests with a thirteen-member Board of Directors, which provides direction to the Corporation on behalf of the shareholder, the City of Ottawa.

The Board provides leadership for the company within a framework of effective controls that enables risks to be assessed and managed, and is responsible for supervising the management of the business and affairs of the company and its subsidiaries. In carrying out its oversight function, the Board of Directors is guided by a Shareholder Declaration issued by Ottawa City Council and revised from time to time. The company’s Code of Business Conduct, its Director Conflict of Interest and Conduct Guidelines and a Related Party Transaction Disclosure Policy and Process also govern the actions of the Board.

In 2006, a separate Board of Directors was established to oversee the operations of Hydro Ottawa Limited, in accordance with the Affiliate Relationships Code for Electricity Distributors and Transmitters issued by the Ontario Energy Board. The powers and functions of that Board are set out in a Shareholder Declaration issued by the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board of Directors. A majority of the members of both Boards are independent of management and the shareholder.

On a day-to-day basis, the Corporation is led by an Executive Management Team, comprising the Corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the senior executives of the subsidiaries and critical functional areas. This team oversees the alignment of business practices and strategies with the goals of the Corporation, and drives performance by managing risks and opportunities.

The Executive Management Team is accountable to the Corporation’s Board of Directors through the President and Chief Executive Officer.

Committees of the Board