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Hydro One restores power to 120,000 customers

July 19, 2006, 11:00 a.m. — Hydro One's efforts to repair damage caused by Monday's severe summer storm has resulted in power restoration to approximately 120,000 customers. Approximately 50,000 Hydro One customers remain without power as of 11:00 a.m. today.

• Almost one thousand Hydro One field staff have been mobilized and deployed to deal with the aftermath of the storm
• Five helicopters will continue to conduct aerial surveys to assess the nature and extent of system damage so that restoration work can be prioritized and appropriate crews and materials dispatched.
• Hydro One crews have reported more than 300 broken poles; over 200,000 meters of downed wire (or 200 kilometers); almost 200 transformers to be replaced; and, thousands of fallen trees on lines. It is expected these numbers will continue to grow.
• Hydro One crews in unaffected or restored areas will continue to be redeployed to reinforce restoration efforts in the areas hardest hit by the storm, including Nipissing, Manitoulin, Newmarket, Fenelon Falls, Peterborough, and Cobden.

Hydro One estimates that due to the size of the storm path and its widespread damage, complete power restoration in the hardest hit areas may take until Friday or Saturday.

"We have made significant inroads in our restoration efforts, however we continue to face incredible challenges in the areas hardest hit by the storm," said Myles D'Arcey, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations. We will continue to deploy all available crews to the affected areas. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this challenging period and will continue to provide updates regarding our restoration efforts."

To aid in the restoration of a reliable supply of electricity, customers are asked to turn off all major appliances. The public is advised to stay away from downed power lines.

For the most recent information on power outages go to www.HydroOneNetworks.com.

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometers high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity to large industrial customers and municipal utilities, and a 122,000 kilometre low-voltage distribution system that serves about 1.2 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.