Author: anas

Today, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) and Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), the largest community and affordable housing provider in Ottawa, announced the expansion of an existing partnership to further reduce carbon emissions in OCH communities through innovative energy-saving projects.

By combining Hydro Ottawa’s energy efficiency and renewable energy expertise with OCH’s drive to offer innovative housing solutions for sustainable living, this strengthened  partnership will play a crucial role in reducing Ottawa’s carbon footprint. It will also lead to lower overhead costs for OCH, allowing them to preserve affordability and provide more environmentally friendly housing options for low-income residents.

Ongoing and future energy-saving projects include:

• EV charging infrastructure to promote electric vehicle car-sharing
  • To date, the EV car-share program has seen 255 users collectively travel 34,444 kilometers over 4,695 hours of drive time
• New solar panels to generate clean energy on-site
  • To date, 37 solar arrays have been installed and have the capacity to generate 500,000 kWh
• Installation of heat pumps for efficient heating and cooling
  • This major investment by Hydro Ottawa and OCH, includes the design for the installation of 260 heat pumps for individual townhomes, over time.
• Building automation systems (BAS) to optimize energy use. BAS systems have been implemented in 18 OCH buildings and is currently working on the design for another 27 buildings.

This collaboration highlights the power of community partnerships in driving positive change. By working together to conserve energy and tackle climate change, Hydro Ottawa and OCH are demonstrating their shared commitment to building a stronger, healthier community and contributing to a more sustainable future in the National Capital Region. 

Quick facts

• OCH’s goal is to align with the City of Ottawa’s Climate Change Master Plan of reducing emissions by 96 per cent by 2040.
• Since 2010, $64.1M in cost savings has been reinvested in improving OCH operations.
• Hydro Ottawa’s affiliate, Envari Energy Solutions, has been supporting OCH with several initiatives, including their Building Automation Systems, allowing OCH to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.
• In 2022, OCH partnered with Hydro Ottawa, the Ottawa Climate Action Fund, EnviroCentre, and car-sharing company Communauto to launch a pilot EV car-share program at phase one of Mosaïq Ottawa. The program included the installation of EV charging infrastructure by Envari Energy Solutions. Due to its success, the program will be expanded to include another OCH development at 715 Mikinak later this summer.
• Since its launch, the EV car-share program has seen 255 users collectively travel 34,444 kilometers over 4,695 hours of drive time (as of June 2024). The car is available to nearly 700 tenants living in five Ottawa Community Housing communities.
• Hydro Ottawa and OCH are actively exploring collaborating on future carbon reducing projects to achieve mutual net-zero goals. Of note, this includes the engineering and design for the future installation of heat pumps for individual townhomes; and supporting OCH with their Long-Range Capital and Carbon Plan to name a few.

 

Quotes:

“This partnership between Hydro Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing is about more than just energy efficiency – it’s about creating more comfortable, sustainable homes for residents. By working together, we will implement solutions that reduce environmental impact, lower energy costs, and improve overall comfort. Hydro Ottawa is committed to supporting our customers in every way possible as we move toward a smarter energy future.”

• Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

“This partnership with Hydro Ottawa is a significant step toward achieving our mission. Together, we will implement innovative energy-saving technologies that reduce our carbon footprint, lower energy costs, and provide advanced energy solutions to residents. This strategic collaboration aligns with OCH’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions and reinforces Hydro Ottawa’s dedication to supporting green energy and carbon reduction projects within the community. At OCH, we are dedicated to creating sustainable, affordable housing options for residents. Our combined efforts underscore our shared commitment to building stronger and greener communities”

• Stéphane Giguère, CEO of Ottawa Community Housing

 

Media contacts

Josée Larocque
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345
[email protected]

Chantal Genova
Manager, Corporate Communications
Ottawa Community Housing
343-997-5700
[email protected]

 

About Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose core businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, energy solutions, telecommunications and utility services. As a leading partner in a smart energy future, Hydro Ottawa is committed to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment in all aspects of its operations. It owns and operates four primary subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited – a local distribution company that delivers electricity to more than 364,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman; Portage Power – the largest Ontario-based municipally-owned producer of green power with 131 megawatts of installed green generation capacity (enough to power 110,000 homes); Envari – an energy solutions company offering products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various local distribution companies; and Hiboo Networks – a high-speed fiber optic network solutions and internet service company providing customers in the Ottawa-Gatineau region with secure and scalable connectivity to enable a strong digital future.

About Ottawa Community Housing:

Ottawa Community Housing offers approximately 15,000 homes to about 33,000 tenants, including seniors, families, individuals, and people with disabilities. These homes are located in various communities throughout the City of Ottawa and house a diverse population with different languages, cultures, and ethnicities. OCH is Ottawa’s primary community housing provider, managing two-thirds of the city’s housing portfolio and ranking as the second largest in Ontario. It operates at an arms-length of the City of Ottawa. In 2024, OCH earned recognition for the seventh consecutive year as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers.

OTTAWA – Today, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. presented its 2022 Annual Report, showcasing the company’s strong performance in a year which featured the most devastating storm in Ottawa’s history and which tested the company’s resilience like never before.

Board Chair, Jim Durrell, C.M., ICD.D, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Bryce Conrad, presented the company’s 2022 results during the Annual General Meeting today before Ottawa City Council. They also provided an update on the company’s ongoing work to enhance its emergency preparedness and response capabilities in the face of increasingly frequent and intense severe weather events, as well as on the recent labour disruption at the company.

Today’s meeting also marked the conclusion of Mr. Durrell’s tenure as Chair of the Board of Directors for Hydro Ottawa. During his 10 years as Chair, Mr. Durrell helped oversee the largest investment in the reliability and expansion of the local distribution grid in Hydro Ottawa’s history, as well as significant growth and diversification across the company’s business lines. Bernie Ashe, a well-known and respected local business leader and community builder, is set to assume the Board chairmanship for a four-year term.

Hydro Ottawa’s core mandate remains unchanged: to provide a safe, reliable and affordable supply of electricity to approximately 359,000 residential and commercial customers that rely upon the company every day; and to ensure a more sustainable energy future for its community.

Quick Facts

• Hydro Ottawa’s 2022 consolidated net income was $39.7 million.
• In accordance with the City Council-approved dividend policy, Hydro Ottawa’s dividend payment to the City will be $20 million this year, which will be used by the City to fund municipal programs and services.
• Despite the May 2022 Derecho storm and a major winter storm in December, Hydro Ottawa’s service reliability remained best-in-class among its peers in Ontario. On average, Hydro Ottawa customers had power 99.95 per cent of the time.
• The centrepiece of Hydro Ottawa’s corporate strategy is a commitment to achieving net-zero operations by 2030, a first for any municipally-owned utility in Canada. In 2022, the company reached a key milestone in this journey, with the certification of its main office and two operational facilities to LEED Gold status, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement for green buildings.
• Portage Power, Hydro Ottawa’s renewable energy subsidiary, further strengthened its position as the largest municipally-owned producer of green power in Ontario through the acquisition of two run-of-the-river generating stations located on the Mississippi River just west of Ottawa. This increased its total generation capacity to 131 MW.
• Hydro Ottawa powered up its newest and largest substation (Cambrian Municipal Transformer Station), delivering the project on time and within budget. Located next to the station on unused land is one of the largest pollinator meadows in Eastern Ontario, developed in partnership with the City of Ottawa, Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and the Canadian Wildlife Federation.
• Envari, the company’s energy and utility services business, had its strongest financial year on record. This was driven by partnerships on signature clean energy projects, such as zero-emission buses with the City of Ottawa and decarbonization opportunities with the Ottawa International Airport Authority, as well as the expanding range of value-added services which Envari offers to commercial, institutional, municipal and utility clients.
• To help enable a smart and connected National Capital Region, Hydro Ottawa launched a new subsidiary, Hiboo Networks. Hiboo will provide fibre optic network solutions to businesses and institutions across Ottawa and Gatineau.
• Hydro Ottawa achieved a 93 per cent overall customer satisfaction score, continuing the recent trend of high customer satisfaction. The company also maintained the highest e-billing participation rate among Ontario distribution utilities (62 per cent).
• According to data published by the Ontario Energy Board, Hydro Ottawa had the lowest operating costs per customer among large distribution utilities in Ontario.
• Hydro Ottawa’s employee-driven charitable campaign raised more than $166,000 for the United Way of Eastern Ontario. In addition, $149,000 was raised for the Ottawa Food Bank, and the company was pleased to resume employee volunteering at community events such as Special Needs Day at the Capital Fair and the Help Santa Toy Parade.

Quotes

“As the events of 2022 demonstrated, the foundation of Hydro Ottawa’s business is our commitment to earning public trust by meeting the need for safe, reliable and affordable service, no matter what challenges come our way. Over the last 10 years, it’s been my great honour to have collaborated with the company’s management, employees and stakeholders in building upon this foundation by achieving best-in-class reliability, delivering value for our municipal shareholder and championing the transition to more sustainable energy solutions for our community. I’m proud of Hydro Ottawa’s incredible track record and I’m confident that this legacy will continue to flourish under Bernie and Bryce’s leadership.”

– Jim Durrell, C.M., ICD.D, Chair, Board of Directors

“The lessons of 2022 have sharpened our focus on emergency preparedness and response, and adapting our operations and infrastructure. Together with our ongoing investments in clean energy and carbon reduction initiatives, these actions will advance the shift to a smarter energy future. In addition, I want to express my sincere thanks to Jim Durrell for the dedicated years of service and commitment to performance excellence which he brought to our Board. I also want to welcome our incoming Chair, Bernie Ashe, to the Hydro Ottawa family. I look forward to working with him in writing the next chapter in our story of sustainably powering the community which we are fortunate to serve.”

– Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Media contact:

Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345
[email protected]

www.hydroottawa.com

About Hydro Ottawa

Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. (Hydro Ottawa) is a private company 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose core businesses are electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, and energy and utility services. As a leading partner in a smart energy future, Hydro Ottawa is committed to sustainability and reducing its impact on the environment in all aspects of its operations. It owns and operates three primary subsidiary companies: Hydro Ottawa Limited – a local distribution company that delivers electricity to more than 359,000 customers in the City of Ottawa and the Village of Casselman; Portage Power – the largest Ontario-based municipally-owned producer of green power with 131 megawatts of installed green generation capacity (enough to power 110,000 homes); and Envari – an energy solutions company offering products and services that help reduce energy consumption and costs for municipalities, industrial and commercial clients, and various local distribution companies.

OTTAWA – Today, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc., launched Enabling Net Zero; a public engagement survey designed to inform its sustainability action plan to become the first municipality-owned utility company to achieve net-zero operations by 2030 in Canada.

Hearing from customers, employees, partners, stakeholders and various interest groups within the wider Ottawa community is vital to supporting the transition to a greener economy and a smart energy future in the National Capital Region.

The public engagement survey starts today and continues until August 25, 2022, and is open to all residents until September 12, 2022 on Hydro Ottawa Holding’s new website.

Hydro Ottawa’s goal is to create an open dialogue of ideas and opinions from across the region so that together, it can build a sustainable, resilient and vibrant future for the community. As energy trends and needs evolve, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. and its subsidiaries, Hydro Ottawa Limited, Portage Power, and Envari Energy Solutions, continue to lead the way by advancing energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy generation. This includes leveraging and implementing new technology as well as the pursuit of innovative partnerships.

Hydro Ottawa invites all who are interested in a smart energy future to join the conversation and complete the survey. Information and ideas gathered will help inform our strategic plans for a collective net zero and sustainable future.

Quick Facts

• The centrepiece of Hydro Ottawa’s 2021-2025 Strategic Direction is a commitment to achieving net-zero operations by 2030, a first for any municipally-owned utility in Canada.
• Through its renewable energy subsidiary, Portage Power, the company completed the second of two refurbishments of its hydroelectric stations in Québec in May 2021. With this station back online, Portage Power’s 128 MW generating fleet – the largest of any municipally-owned utility in Ontario – had a record year for green energy production.
• Envari, the company’s energy and utility services business, made significant progress on two critical projects: the four-year, $57.2 million cogeneration system upgrade at Ottawa’s wastewater collection and treatment plant, and the installation of EV charging infrastructure for the City of Ottawa’s first set of electric buses.
• In partnership with Zibi Canada and Kruger Products, Hydro Ottawa completed the construction and commissioning of the district energy plant which will provide zero-carbon heating and cooling to the Zibi community in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.

Media contact:

Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345
[email protected]

OTTAWA – Hydro Ottawa is celebrating its 11th win as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers. This selection is in recognition of the company’s ongoing leadership and commitment to the environment and helping its customers and the nation’s capital achieve their sustainability goals.

Hydro Ottawa believes it has a fundamental responsibility to be a leading partner in a smart energy future and to help build a vibrant and sustainable capital. That belief extends to its own operations, and its impact on the environment, as well as to the communities in which its customers live and work.

This is exemplified in Hydro Ottawa’s partnership with the City of Ottawa on its electric vehicle and public transit charging infrastructure projects, as well as the City’s Energy Evolution initiative designed to advance energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy generation; its commitment to bring additional clean, renewable power to Ontario through a 40-year purchase power agreement from its two newly refurbished hydroelectric facilities in Quebec; and its collaboration with Zibi Canada and Kruger Products to introduce zero-carbon thermal district energy to the 34-acre downtown waterfront site, making the Zibi development project the region’s first zero-carbon-emission community.

At the end of 2021, Hydro Ottawa announced the company would be taking its commitment to sustainability one step further by accelerating its transition to net-zero operations by 2030; a first for any municipally-owned utility company in Canada.

Quick facts

• In December 2021, Hydro Ottawa achieved the distinguished Sustainable Electricity Company designation from Electricity Canada (formerly the Canadian Electricity Association), making Hydro Ottawa the 11th Electricity Canada utility company in Canada and the third in Ontario to successfully achieve this designation.
• In November 2021, Hydro Ottawa announced its commitment to support the City of Ottawa’s fleet of electric buses by providing safe and reliable electricity, while Envari will install and maintain the charging infrastructure at OC Transpo’s St. Laurent garage.
• Portage Power is Ontario’s largest municipally-owned producer of green power, with hydroelectric, solar and landfill gas-to-energy facilities generating enough renewable electricity to power 107,000 homes annually.
• In 2019, Hydro Ottawa moved into two new operations centres and a new main office, all designed and built to LEED Gold standards (a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement for green buildings).
• Solar energy generation at Hydro Ottawa’s new facilities offsets approximately 18 per cent of the energy demand at its East Campus and 100 per cent at its South Campus.
• Hydro Ottawa consistently diverts more than 90 per cent of its waste from landfill.
• Now offered in a virtual format, Hydro Ottawa’s education program, in partnership with Electricity Safety and Conservation and Relay Education, builds awareness and a culture of conservation and sustainability among elementary-aged children; the program has educated just over 307,000 local students since its inception.
• Hydro Ottawa is a catalyst member of EnviroCentre and Carbon613, a growing network of organizations that are setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets in Ottawa.
• The City of Ottawa is looking to Envari to upgrade the systems at one of its wastewater treatment plants. Replacing the plant’s three cogeneration engines, and adding a fourth, will eliminate 1,565 tonnes of CO2 per year and reduce utility costs by $80M over 25 years.

 

Quotes

“With every decision that we make, Hydro Ottawa weighs the positive impact it must have on the environment, our community and our customers. We are dedicated to being an instrument of change that not only provides safe and reliable power to the nation’s capital, but also helps our city and its residents accelerate and achieve their own sustainability goals through bold initiatives, innovation and environmental partnerships.”

– Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer

Media Contact

Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345
[email protected]

OTTAWA – Today, the Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. Board of Directors announced the company would be taking its commitment to sustainability one step further by accelerating its transition to net-zero operations by 2030; a first for any municipally-owned utility company in Canada. The company is developing a detailed action plan to guide its journey to net-zero, and will be engaging with its customers, employees, partners and the regulator to reach this important milestone. This commitment is aligned with the company’s refreshed corporate strategy for the 2021-2025 period.

The announcement comes after Hydro Ottawa achieved the distinguished Sustainable Electricity Company designation from the Canadian Electricity Association this month. Hydro Ottawa is the 11th CEA member utility company in Canada and the third in Ontario to successfully achieve this designation.

Hydro Ottawa believes it has a responsibility to help build a vibrant and sustainable capital. That belief extends to its own operations, and its impact on the environment, as well as to the communities in which its customers live and work.

Hydro Ottawa owns and operates three primary subsidiaries: Hydro Ottawa Limited, which distributes electricity across the nation’s capital; Portage Power, which has over 128 megawatts of installed green generation capacity – enough to power 107,000 homes annually; and Envari Holding Inc., which offers large-scale sustainable energy solutions for businesses, governments and utilities.

 

Quick facts

• Portage Power has increased its renewable energy generation output by 500 per cent since 2012. It is Ontario’s largest municipally-owned producer of green power, with hydroelectric, solar and landfill gas-to-energy generation facilities producing enough renewable electricity to power 107,000 homes annually.
• Solar energy generation at Hydro Ottawa’s new facilities, built to the LEED Gold standard, offsets approximately 18 per cent of the electrical energy demand at its East Campus and 100 per cent at its South Campus.
• Hydro Ottawa diverts, on average, more than 90 per cent of its waste from landfill.
• In October 2020, Hydro Ottawa partnered with Zibi Canada and Kruger Products to introduce zero-carbon thermal district energy to the 34-acre waterfront site in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau, making the Zibi development project the region’s first zero-carbon-emission community.
• Hydro Ottawa has been certified to the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management since 2004 and in September 2020, received ISO 55001 certification for its asset management program, recognizing its commitment to meeting operational, environmental and financial goals to deliver safe, low-cost, clean, reliable power to its customers and community.
• The City of Ottawa recently announced that Envari will be responsible for the installation and maintenance of charging infrastructure, while Hydro Ottawa will provide power for OC Transpo’s fleet of electric buses.
• Hydro Ottawa is a catalyst member of EnviroCentre and Carbon613, a growing network of organizations that are setting and achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets in Ottawa.

 

Quotes

“We are in the midst of an environmental crisis, as extreme weather events here in Ottawa, across Canada and around the world are occurring with ever increasing regularity. Now is the time for clear, decisive and bold action, to take every opportunity big or small to put sustainability first. To that end, Hydro Ottawa has committed to being the first municipally-owned utility company in Canada to be net-zero by 2030.”

– Bryce Conrad, President and Chief Executive Officer

 

“Climate change is one of the most pressing problems facing our world today. Our shareholder, the City of Ottawa, has declared the environment to be a top priority by putting a plan of action in place to achieve their net-zero targets by 2050. In support of that objective, Hydro Ottawa will lead the way and continue to innovate and collaborate with key stakeholders in order to reach this important milestone.”

– Jim Durrell, Chair, Board of Directors, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc.

 

Media contact:

Josée Larocque
Manager, Media and Public Affairs
Hydro Ottawa
Tel: 613-738-5499 ext. 2345
[email protected]