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Hydro One investing about $300,000 upgrading lightning protection on its system in Lambton to upgrade reliability

April 26, 2007 — To improve power delivery reliability Hydro One Provincial Lines is investing approximately $300,000 in lightning protection at over 100 locations throughout Lambton County.

This work involves installing over 300 lightning arrestors (devices that protect the electrical system from lightning strikes), changing insulators and driving in ground rods. The work is being conducted in townships of St. Clair, Enniskillen, Sombra, and towns of Corunna, Courtright and Brigden. Live line procedures will be used to eliminate the need to interrupt service to customers during this work.

The project began April 16, 2007 and is scheduled for completion mid-May. Extra staff have been being brought in to complete the work quickly.

"This will upgrade overall reliability in these areas," said Hydro One Customer Operations Manager Gary Ruckle. "Summer is approaching, along with significant lightning activity. These improvements will minimize impact of electrical storms on our distribution system."

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 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.