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Power restored to 80% of Hydro One customers; majority of remaining customers expected to be restored today

December 3, 2006 — Hydro One confirms that power has now been restored to more than 71,000 of its customers and expects to have power returned to most of the remaining 19,000 customers, predominantly in Eastern Ontario, today.

Two storms fronts that brought a combination of snow, freezing rain, high and gusting winds causing significant number of downed power lines and poles, saw more than 90,000 Hydro One customers lose power at the storm's peak.

Approximately 750 Hydro One's highly mobile field staffs as well as crews on loan from other utilities continue to zero-in on the most affected areas. As these crews complete work in one part of the province, they will then be redeployed to the next area, until necessary repair work is complete. While the company expects this focussed effort will see the majority of its remaining affected customers returned to power today, it is likely that repair to more remote and water access properties will be completed in the early week.

"We continue to marshal our resources towards the hardest hit areas and have made great gains in our restoration efforts," said Myles D'Arcey, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations, Hydro One. "We sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers over this challenging weekend and will continue to do all possible to have their power restored as quickly and as safely as possible."

Important Safety Information for Customers

Hydro One strongly advises customers to take extra precaution should they discover fallen power lines on their properties. Even if a fallen wire is not sparking, it may still be energized and dangerous. People are urged to report to Hydro One the location of the fallen wires as soon as possible.

Restoring Power to Customers with Customer-Owned Equipment

Hydro One advises customers that their privately-owned electrical equipment may have sustained damage in this week's storm. If you know that your customer-owned equipment is damaged, you will need to hire a qualified electrical contractor to undertake necessary repair work who will then arrange for the required ESA inspection and Hydro One reconnection to restore your power.

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

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's 28,400 kilometre 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 1.3 million end-use customers and smaller municipal utilities in the province. Hydro One is wholly owned by the Province of Ontario.

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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 website is www.HydroOne.com.