Hydro One said the scheduled power outage tonight in Clarington will affect nearly 13,500 Hydro One customers in Durham and the surrounding area, as well as about 3,600 Elexicon customers.
Elexicon Energy confirmed that approximately 3,600 customers in Bowmanville, Clarington, will be affected by tonight’s power interruption.
Clarington Emergency and Fire Services said Hydro One crews will be performing critical maintenance on a transformer station that supplies power to parts of Clarington. A planned outage is expected to begin at 11 pm on Saturday, April 29, and last around eight hours.
Meanwhile, Oshawa Power assured its customers that the service to them will not be interrupted by the planned Hydro One maintenance affecting surrounding areas.
Wilson Transmission Station upgrade
Hydro One said it is replacing equipment at its Wilson Transmission Station (TS) that will enable an alternate back-up power supply to Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.
In order to complete this critical investment, a power outage is required so crews can safely complete the work. Hydro One is working with OPG and Elexicon to coordinate the power outage, said a company statement.
“Hydro One is investing in our electricity infrastructure to ensure the region has clean and reliable energy today and for years to come,” said Teri French, Executive Vice President, Operations and Customer Experience, Hydro One. “We understand how difficult it is to be without power and thank our customers for their patience as we complete this critical work.”
The company said it has worked to minimize the duration of the outage and schedule it during a time when customers are using the least amount of power. Additional area investments to improve local reliability will also be completed during the outage to eliminate the need for future planned outages.
This work includes replacing poles that have reached end of life and installing switches.
The company shared tips to help customers prepare for the upcoming outage which includes:
- Making sure appliances, such as the stove, are in the off position.
- Making sure cellphones and devices are fully charged.
- Using a battery-powered alarm clock or cellphone to ensure Sunday morning alarms aren’t missed.
- Keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible and using a cooler with ice for items needed during the planned outage.
- If water services will be affected at your home, consider filling jugs of water to use for drinking and cooking.
- If using a generator, remember to use it in a dry area outdoors away from any open windows, doors and vents. Visit the Electrical Safety Authority for more tips.