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Hydro One Sends Crews to New York and Pennsylvania to Assist in Power Restoration

December 13, 2000 - Hydro One has sent almost 160 lines staff and mechanics in 60 trucks to areas near Buffalo, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania to assist in power restoration following severe storms this week that knocked out electricity supply to hundreds of thousands of people.

Hydro One staff received requests for assistance Tuesday afternoon from Niagara Mohawk and General Public Utilities, and quickly mobilized staff from across the province. Convoys of trucks started crossing the border at Fort Erie and Gananoque about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"The logistics of pulling this team together from our centres right across Ontario and getting them on the road so quickly are significant, and our employees successfully met this challenge," explained Eleanor Clitheroe, Hydro One President and CEO. "We're happy to be able to help our neighbours get their power back as quickly as possible."

Staff were drawn from Hydro One facilities throughout the province including Dundas, Simcoe, Lincoln, Orangeville, Barrie, Bracebridge, Bowmanville, Peterborough, Minden, Tweed. Bancroft, Kingston, Picton, Cobden and Winchester, as well as mobile crews based in Belleville and the Toronto area. Crews in northeastern Ontario were on standby to assist if needed.

Lines staff in the Essex, Chatham-Kent, Lambton and Strathroy areas remained in Ontario working on restoration of service for Hydro One customers. Virtually all Hydro One customers had their power back by early today.

The crews are expected back from the U.S. by the weekend.

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For more information, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868.