Hydro Ottawa/Hydro One/Hydro Québec

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Very well done article. The only real omission is the recent (2016) introduction of the Ontario Electricity Support Program which provides substantial subsidies to hydro bills for low income families... seems like something that should have been mentioned in their paragraph about the various things the government is doing to attack the hydro monster.

It also really shows how the Liberal approach to the file, going all the way back to 2003, has really been one of good ideas and terrible execution. A good tale of caution for future governments.

Since the OSEP is funded through yet another charge added to hydro bills, it should have been included in the reasons hydro costs continue to increase.

I think the ongoing and consistent problem is that the Mcginty/Wynne government has (and continues to) pursue a policy of dumping social policy onto hydro customers (a highly regressive revenue mechanism) rather than the general tax base, which at least somewhat progressive. Manufacturing subsidies, transit funding, climate change programs, regional development projects, pay-to-play fundraising schemes and vote-buying schemes have all been dumped on the backs of hydro customers. Not only is this politically stupid (because hydro bills are way more visible than income tax) and economically stupid (because it encourages inefficiencies) it is also bad public policy because these are excluded from all normal policy analysis tools.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Since the OSEP is funded through yet another charge added to hydro bills, it should have been included in the reasons hydro costs continue to increase.

I don't really think that's a bad thing--it's a step towards making electricity bills more progressive.

Originally Posted by acottawa

I think the ongoing and consistent problem is that the Mcginty/Wynne government has (and continues to) pursue a policy of dumping social policy onto hydro customers (a highly regressive revenue mechanism) rather than the general tax base, which at least somewhat progressive. Manufacturing subsidies, transit funding, climate change programs, regional development projects, pay-to-play fundraising schemes and vote-buying schemes have all been dumped on the backs of hydro customers. Not only is this politically stupid (because hydro bills are way more visible than income tax) and economically stupid (because it encourages inefficiencies) it is also bad public policy because these are excluded from all normal policy analysis tools.

Agreed on all except for transit funding.. how exactly did that happen? Did I miss something?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I don't really think that's a bad thing--it's a step towards making electricity bills more progressive.

That is what Ontario Works (at other low income support programs) are for. It doesn't make sense to try to take a piecemeal approach to try to cross subsidize each individual cost faced by low income residents (say forcing grocery stores to provide discounts to low income people, or gas stations to provided discounted gas, etc).

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Agreed on all except for transit funding.. how exactly did that happen? Did I miss something?

Wynne has announced her intention to "privatize" Hydro One to fund transit projects. Since Hydro One is a regulated monopoly with no opportunities for growth, the only way investors are going to buy these shares is if they are promised dividends. They only way Hydro One can pay dividends is to raise their rates, which will be added to hydro bills.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Wynne has announced her intention to "privatize" Hydro One to fund transit projects. Since Hydro One is a regulated monopoly with no opportunities for growth, the only way investors are going to buy these shares is if they are promised dividends. They only way Hydro One can pay dividends is to raise their rates, which will be added to hydro bills.

Hydro One can't just raise their rates whenever they want. Any utility, whether public or private, has to go through the OEB to get a rate change, and they have to prove to the OEB that it's necessary. And the OEB doesn't rubber stamp increases.. in fact, they deny applications more often than not.

Many of the province's local hydro utilities were privatized in the Harris era (such as Mississauga's, for example) and their rates haven't gotten up by any more than the publically owned ones since then.

Hydro One's dividends will come from the cost savings that are possible once it's no longer a crown corporation and it's no longer subject to the inefficiencies of government control. Notably, no longer being a majority-publically owned corporation will make fighting the union way easier as the company will no longer be subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The OEB will never accept a proposal for a rate hike in order to afford bigger dividends. Any smart investor will know that going in.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Hydro One can't just raise their rates whenever they want. Any utility, whether public or private, has to go through the OEB to get a rate change, and they have to prove to the OEB that it's necessary. And the OEB doesn't rubber stamp increases.. in fact, they deny applications more often than not.

Many of the province's local hydro utilities were privatized in the Harris era (such as Mississauga's, for example) and their rates haven't gotten up by any more than the publically owned ones since then.

Hydro One's dividends will come from the cost savings that are possible once it's no longer a crown corporation and it's no longer subject to the inefficiencies of government control. Notably, no longer being a majority-publically owned corporation will make fighting the union way easier as the company will no longer be subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The OEB will never accept a proposal for a rate hike in order to afford bigger dividends. Any smart investor will know that going in.

90% of Enersource is owned by the city of Mississauga 10% is owned by OMERS. Most people would not consider a company owned 90% by a government to be privatized.

I couldn't find any rejected rate increases on the OEB website. Last year they approved exactly what hydro one asked for.

Monopolies have little to threaten unions with and don't do particularity well in strikes. They certainly have little incentive to reduce their wage bill because it could risk approval of rate increases.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by acottawa

90% of Enersource is owned by the city of Mississauga 10% is owned by OMERS. Most people would not consider a company owned 90% by a government to be privatized.

I couldn't find any rejected rate increases on the OEB website. Last year they approved exactly what hydro one asked for.

Oops, got that one wrong.. but many local utilities in the province are privately owned. Cornwall's is one.. it's owned by Fortis.

As for rejected rate increases, Hydro Ottawa had a bunch not too long ago. It happens a lot. The OEB does not blindly approve anything utilities ask.. it's quite a rigorous process to get rate changes approved.

Originally Posted by acottawa

They certainly have little incentive to reduce their wage bill because it could risk approval of rate increases.

Except any rate increase for salary expenses.. will go to salary expenses. Private utilities have a massive incentive to reduce wage bills as cutting costs is the only way for them to grow their profits. Once the government's stake falls below 50%, Hydro One is no longer subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the resulting requirement to bend over to unions effectively imposed by Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan, among other court decisions based on association rights. That alone will give them way more power against the union than the company does has now.

[waterloowarrior]

Powerstream (owned by Vaughan, Barrie, and Markham),was just approved to merge with Enersource (Horizon/Borealis [OMERS]) and Horizon (Hamilton/St Catharines) and they will be purchasing Hydro One Brampton. The combined company will be bigger than Toronto Hydro.

I recently learned that Hydro Ottawa also distributes power in Casselman.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Oops, got that one wrong.. but many local utilities in the province are privately owned. Cornwall's is one.. it's owned by Fortis.

As for rejected rate increases, Hydro Ottawa had a bunch not too long ago. It happens a lot. The OEB does not blindly approve anything utilities ask.. it's quite a rigorous process to get rate changes approved.



Except any rate increase for salary expenses.. will go to salary expenses. Private utilities have a massive incentive to reduce wage bills as cutting costs is the only way for them to grow their profits. Once the government's stake falls below 50%, Hydro One is no longer subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the resulting requirement to bend over to unions effectively imposed by Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan, among other court decisions based on association rights. That alone will give them way more power against the union than the company does has now.

Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v Saskatchewan took away the government's ability to impose contracts unilaterally. Hydro One is still bound by the labour laws of ontario, which require, among other things, the employer to bargain in good faith. However, unlike a competitive market (where an employer can threaten to move to Mexico) a regulated monopoly doesn't have a whole lot of leverage over its workers in the collective bargaining process.

Look at it this way. If it was the case that hydro one is going to be able to cut its payroll and put those savings into profits, then one would expect Hydro One to be outperforming the market. That is not the case, Hydro One has gained 11% in a last year while the TSX index has gained 29%. The market is pricing the stock like a preferred share that pays a steady dividend.

Either way, my initial point is still true, the province monetized future dividends to fund transit, which means hydro customers have to pay more than if those dividends had been instead uses to lower rates.

[rocketphish]

Not sure where to put this article. It's a Hydro One project, which presumably feeds into Hydro Ottawa's grid, but it's also being done, apparently, to supply the Confederation Line.

Hydro One unveiling plans for transmission line upgrade in Riverview Park
Public has 30 days to comment on report

By Erin McCracken, Ottawa South News
Jan 09, 2017



Riverview Park residents who cried foul when they learned a hydro corridor behind their homes will be turned into a construction site this year have the opportunity to look over the details of the proposed plan.

The provincial power company has now completed its draft environmental study report, which is being publicly released on Jan. 12 for 30 days for public review and feedback. It was initially thought the report was going to be made available last October or November.

Area residents were upset last fall when those living near a Hydro One right-of-way corridor learned the transmission line from Balena Park, into Eastway Gardens and on to the Overbrook transmission station on Coventry Road, would need an upgrade. Pending approval of the plan, construction is slated to begin this spring and wrap up as early as next fall or as late as the spring or fall of 2018.

The project raised concerns among residents about how much of the green space where many have hedges, barbecues and flower and vegetable gardens will be removed to make way for construction. Many blasted Hydro One for what they complained was “a scorched-earth policy.”

The power company is upgrading its 1.8-kilometre transmission line by replacing seven hydro towers and adding a second circuit line to boost the power supply.

The goal is to provide power to the city’s future Confederation light-rail transit system, part of which is currently being tested with newly manufactured trains, as well as to power a future concentration of condominiums around the new transit stations, according to Hydro Ottawa staff.

In response to concerns, Hydro One softened its stance and agreed to safeguard approximately five metres on either side of the corridor, though staff said it will depend on the ability of crews to manoeuvre within the 30-metre-wide right-of-way.

Within the buffer zone, hydro staff said some trees would need to be removed to ensure they don’t grow tall enough to touch a wire or be close enough to cause arcing. Trees that are structurally weak can also create problems, according to staff.

Despite the modified approach, residents have remained apprehensive about exactly which encroachments will be removed.

FEEDBACK DEADLINE

The public has 30 days to review the report and submit comments, from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10. Paper copies of the report are available during that period at the Elmvale Acres branch of the Ottawa Public Library, the Dempsey and Overbrook community centres, at the customer service counter at city hall and online at hydroone.com/Projects/OverbrooktoRiverview.

The deadline to submit written comments and questions is Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. Those can be sent to Jennifer Trotman, a Hydro One environmental planner, by emailing community.relations@hydroone.com.

According to Hydro One, residents can request “a higher level of assessment if they feel that outstanding issues have not been adequately addressed.”

These requests, known as a Part II Order within the Environmental Assessment Act, must be provided in writing to Ontario’s minister of environment and climate change by emailing minister.moecc@ontario.ca, and to the director of the environmental approvals branch by emailing eaasibgen@ontario.ca.

A duplicate copy of the Part II Order request must also be submitted to Hydro One by emailing community.relations@hydroone.com.

Those face the same Feb. 10 deadline.

Erin McCracken is a reporter/photographer with Metroland Media’s Ottawa South News. She can be reached at erin.mccracken@metroland.com.

http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/n...iverview-park/

[rocketphish]

Hydro One's Overbrook to Riverview transmission line upgrade site


Click for larger, more recent, version

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

I recently learned that Hydro Ottawa also distributes power in Casselman.

Funny little quirk, that one.

[rocketphish]

Drone footage of the new Hydro Ottawa generation facility and the exceptionally high water spilling over Chaudière Falls.

• Video Link

[waterloowarrior]

Building permit approved for Hydro Ottawa's new east campus at 3475 Hawthorne (which is actually on Hunt Club east of Hawthorne)

Plans are here
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__0FIRGF

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Building permit approved for Hydro Ottawa's new east campus at 3475 Hawthorne (which is actually on Hunt Club east of Hawthorne)

Plans are here
http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/...appId=__0FIRGF

I believe there is a tower crane there now (unless it's in the next parcel of land to the east).

[eltodesukane]

Toronto and Ottawa are now the most expensive cities for electricity
http://www.montrealgazette.com/offic...255/story.html

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

Toronto and Ottawa are now the most expensive cities for electricity
http://www.montrealgazette.com/offic...255/story.html

From the article:

As a result, Toronto and Ottawa now have the highest average monthly electricity bills when compared to other major cities across the country.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

Toronto and Ottawa are now the most expensive cities for electricity
http://www.montrealgazette.com/offic...255/story.html

Still below US average and one of the least expensive cities for electricity in the developed world

[rocketphish]

Another great photo by Chuck Clark:



Sept 2, 2017
by southfacing (Chuck Clark) on Flickr

[TMA-1]

Thanks rocketphish for finding the threads I can never find twice. Or am too lazy to find!

CWC

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Another great photo by Chuck Clark:



Sept 2, 2017
by southfacing (Chuck Clark) on Flickr

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by TMA-1

Thanks rocketphish for finding the threads I can never find twice. Or am too lazy to find!

CWC

You're welcome Chuck... and I hope you don't mind. I think your aerial photography is amazing and is a huge contribution to this forum. I am always eager to see your images shared here