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Hydro One spending about $700,000 improving reliability in Haliburton area

June 20, 2006 - Hydro One is spending about $700,000 from May to August as part of a three-year $4 million project improving power delivery reliability to customers in the Haliburton area.

The work in this stage of the project involves replacing an old stretch of major 44,000 volt distribution line that runs off-road through the bush with a new section including 30 poles running along Highway 118 south of Haliburton. The remaining stages of the project will be built over the next two years.

"This project will significantly upgrade overall reliability in Highlands East, Tory Hill, Gooderham, Wilberforce and surrounding area," said Hydro One Customer Operations Manager Bill Smeaton. "Not only will customers have the benefit of brand new equipment (poles, insulators, conductor) but having the line run along the road instead of deep in the bush will improve access for our crews and restoration speed if there is damage that needs repair. This work is a reflection of Hydro One investing in its power delivery system and providing a high level of service."

All the work, including climbing 60 foot and 75 foot poles and stringing conductor, will be done by a crew of six apprentices and supervisors. "This job is a good example of Hydro One's commitment to development of our young trades people," Smeaton explained. "These learner crews require a lot of planning and dedication from our regular lines staff who supervise them."

Over the past five years Hydro One has invested about $4.5 billion in capital projects and maintenance to sustain and upgrade its high-voltage transmission and low-voltage distribution systems throughout the province. It plans to invest an additional $5.5 billion in system maintenance and upgrades over the next five years.

Hydro One delivers electricity safely, reliably and responsibly to homes and businesses across the province of Ontario and owns and operates Ontario's 28,000 kilometre high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 125,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Ontario Government.

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For more information and to make arrangements for photography, contact Hydro One Media Relations 24 hours a day at 1-877-506-7584 (toll-free in Ontario only) or 416-345-6868. Our Web site is www.HydroOne.com.