Community Report - Q2 2022

Shareholder Municipalities

Elexicon Energy’s quarterly reports provide our valued communities and customers with a progress and impact update. Each report details Elexicon’s continued commitment to customer service, system reliability, corporate social responsibility, operations management and other significant updates – nurturing transparency and open communication between Elexicon and its stakeholders.

Select a community report in your region from the tab below.

Town of Ajax

Image for Ajax

We proudly serve 39,000 residential and business customers in the Town of Ajax with reliable and affordable energy services.

The Community Reports support our commitment to transparency and keeping our shareholder communities up to date on our activities more frequently. The reports include information on Customer Service, System Reliability, Operations and Asset Improvements, Communications and Thought Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability, Industry News and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Have a question or require more information? communications@elexiconenergy.com

Customer Experience

  • The Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) announced no changes to Time-of-Use (“TOU”) and Tiered electricity rates for May 1st, 2022. However, May 1st marks the start of the summer TOU hours and Tiered thresholds. This change impacts all customers under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).
  • The OEB’s residential Winter Disconnection Banended on April 30th. Elexicon Energy has resumed regular business practices of disconnecting customers (all customer classes) for non-payment with a focus on those customers who have the highest arrears. Elexicon has also resumed disconnections for customers who have not contracted for service (nonsign-up).
  • Residential and small business customers can choose their price plan, either TOU or Tiered pricing. Customers are not required to select a price plan but if they wish to switch, they must notify Elexicon by completing and submitting an election form. As of June 30th, 5,994 Elexicon customers (or 3.4 per cent) have changed their pricing structure or are in the process of doing so.
  • There are financial assistance programs in place to support customers, including the Ontario Electricity Support Programand the Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Elexicon continues to encourage customers experiencing difficulty paying their bill to contact us to discuss bill payment options.
  • Elexicon values its customers, and our Customer Experience team strives to provide customers with assistance in a timely and respectful manner. Provided below are the number of calls and written enquires our Customer Experience team received and responded to in Q2 2022.
    • Phone Calls

    April: 7,316

    May: 9,601

    June: 9,020

    TOTAL: 25,937

    Written Enquiries

    April: 999

    May: 1,017

    June: 1,397

    TOTAL: 3,413

System Reliability

More than 39,000 homes and businesses in the Town of Ajax depend on a steady supply of electricity to power their lives. Elexicon Energy takes service reliability very seriously and continues to monitor and mitigate any trends to ensure system reliability.

The numbers provided below do not include major weather events, such as the May 21st powerful derecho storm that blew across southern and eastern Ontario spawning an EF2 tornado in Uxbridge resulting in the township declaring a state of emergency. More than 900,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Ontario and Quebec, including 64,000 Elexicon Energy customers at its peak. The damage was unprecedented and more devastating on our electricity distribution system than the historic ice storm in 2013. Our Uxbridge West Substation was severely damaged and required significant repairs, more than 100 poles needed replacing, and many trees and large branches brought down power lines.

System Reliability
The average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.05 compared to 0.44 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Foreign Interference*:
624 hrs compared to 431 hrs in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
521 hrs compared to 1,505 hrs in Q2 2021

Defective Equipment:
432 hrs compared to 4,327 hrs in Q2 2021

TOTAL OUTAGE DURATION IN CUSTOMER HOURS:

1,947 hrs in Q2 2022 compared to 17,319 hrs in Q2 2021

System Reliability
The average number of times that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.03 compared to 0.32 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Foreign Interference:
15 outages compared to 12 outages in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
7 outages compared to 8 outages in Q2 2022

Scheduled Outage**:
5 outages compared to 5 outages in Q2 2021

TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTAGES:

35 in Q2 2022 compared to 47 in Q2 2021

*The Ontario Energy Board describes Foreign Interference as interruptions beyond the control of the distributor such as those caused by animals, vehicles, dig-ins, vandalism, sabotage and other foreign interference.

**To ensure that our electricity distribution network operates in peak condition, Elexicon conducts important maintenance and construction work that sometimes requires planned power interruptions.

Operations and Asset Improvements

Operations and Asset Improvements
  • Completed: Pickering Beach Substation re-build due to aging infrastructure and increase reliability.
  • Completed: Underground cable replacement on Clover Ridge. The work will help improve system reliability in the neighbourhood.
  • Underway: Tree trimming activity in areas throughout Ajax. The proactive work and preventative maintenance helps ensure public safety and the reliable operation of our distribution system during major weather events. The work started on March 21st and should be wrapped up by June 30th, 2022.
  • Underway: Insulator washing on Elexicon’s high voltage poles to remove salt and other particulates from the insulators that hold the wires. The washing helps prevent tracking, which can cause power outages and cause damage to infrastructure.

Communications and Thought Leadership

  • April is Dig Safe Month, and Elexicon Energy joined forces with Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, to encourage customers to contact Ontario One Call to have their underground utilities located before digging, planting or starting any outdoor projects.
  • Elexicon Energy has partnered with the Region of Durham on another unique initiative. The Durham Greener Homes Program is a region-wide residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners as they navigate through the deep energy retrofit process in an effort to lower their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Government of Ontario announced that it is launching an Electrification and Energy Transition Panel. The Panel will make recommendations for an integrated energy plan that ensures continued reliability and affordability of the province’s energy supply. Elexicon Energy sees this panel as a step in the right direction for encouraging dialogue across the sector and issued this statement applauding the announcement.
  • Elexicon Energy’s President and CEO, Indrani Butany-DeSouza, spoke at the EUCI’s Leadership Conference for Women in Energy that ran from April 20th to 21st. Indrani had this to say on the topic of women in leadership, “As a woman leader, I cannot stress enough that we all have the opportunity to lift others up. We do not need to lead like a man. We need to get out of our own way and take up our space at the table and make room for others.”
  • Indrani also participated on a panel as part of the CAMPUT Conference that took place May 1st to 4th. The discussion touched on a number of different aspects of the industry and the challenges ahead. Indrani said this, “The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. With a strong focus on achieving net zero carbon emission targets, renewable energy generation is quickly evolving to a scale within reach of the average consumer. It’s important to bring the right people to the table to have these conversations and determine how a more salient symbiotic relationship can be reached between the consumer, the grid and energy ecosystem.”
  • Indrani also spoke at Electricity Canada as part of the Regulatory Forum Panel. Reflecting on the experience she said, “For all of us it was clear, in the longer term, the cost of inaction on climate change is higher than the cost of action. However, this may present some challenges to regulators and regulated companies as costs could increase in the short to medium term. We need defined criteria for the types of sustainability and innovation projects that local distribution companies can undertake. At the same time, we need to remain focused on affordability, safety and reliability for all our customers.”
  • On June 23, Elexicon Corporation, the single shareholder and holding company of Elexicon Energy and Elexicon Group, released its 2021 Annual Report as well as its first Corporate, Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Report to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting.
  • For the first time since 2019, the City of Pickering’s Civic Award Ceremony was hosted in person at City Hall to recognize the outstanding achievements of residents, local businesses and community organizations. Winners are nominated by peers and residents for their outstanding contributions to the community. The winner of the Sustainability Award was Elexicon Energy, Marshall Homes and Opus One Solutions for creating Altona Towns – Canada’s first pre-planned residential microgrid community located in west Pickering.
Communications Thought Leadership

Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
  • The Electricity Distributors Association (“EDA”) released a paper titled, "The Power of Sustainability: How Local Distribution Companies Can Enable a Net Zero Future." In the paper, the EDA makes recommendations about the evolving role of local distribution companies and guidance required from the Ontario Energy Board. The same recommendations from the report were included in a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault with feedback on the Clean Electricity Standard.
  • The Canadian Climate Institute issued a report on May 4th titled The Big Switch. A previous report by the thinktank found that clean electricity and electrification underpin all credible economy-wide pathways to net zero. The current report states that in order to meet net zero targets two actions are needed: natural gas and coal need to be replaced with cleaner technologies, and vehicles need to move from gasoline to electricity. This all adds up to a lot more demand for electricity. The new report found that in 2050, Canada will need to have 2.2 to 3.4 more installed capacity. The report also makes recommendations for the role federal and provincial governments should take in the transition.
  • The Ministry of Energy is considering offering a reduced electricity rate to hydrogen producers in Ontario in an effort to quickly grow Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen economy. Generally, there seems to be favour in the industry to this approach. However, LDCs and the EDA have noted that LDCs would need to have more discussions to sort out the details on how this could be offered.

Industry News

  • The government made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010. The changes clarify and enable third-party ownership arrangements for net metering, such as leasing, financing and power purchase agreements, providing electricity customers in Ontario more options to participate in net metering. Prior to the amendments, the net metering regulation required the customer to own or operate the renewable generation system to qualify as an eligible generator. Additional details available on the province's website.
  • Proclamation of Bill 87, on October 1, 2020, launched a clear mandate for change at the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”). A new governance framework, along with mandate letters outlining the government’s priorities, established the formal authority to drive modernization, enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. The OEB created an online timeline of the work completed on modernization to date.
  • The Electricity Distributors Association published the spring 2022 issue of their magazine, The Distributor. This issue celebrates the organization’s 110th year and includes a brief history of the sector and other industry news. The magazine is available for reading online here.
  • Summer time-of-use (TOU) rates came into effect on May 1st. During the summertime, the on-peak period shifts to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mid-peak period is 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., and the off-peak period is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Additional details are on the OEB’s website.
  • The OEB made an announcement regarding their regional planning process. In December 2021, the Regional Planning Process Advisory Group (RPPAG) released a report for the OEB with a number of recommended changes to the regional planning process. The OEB published a letter on April 28th with a schedule for implementing the changes recommended in the report. Among the recommendations, the OEB will issue a new bulletin to communities that they have a choice to opt for a “premium” solution (i.e. distributed energy resources, rather than wires) to reflect “local preferences” and the cost responsibility for the premium option beginning in Q2 this year.
Industry News

Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM UPDATE:

  • 2022 Budget: $80,119
  • Amount spent to date: $62,417

RECENT CORPORATE GIVING RECIPIENTS:

  • Ajax Mayor’s Gala
  • Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation
  • Alzheimer Society of Durham Region
  • Durham Kids Safety Village
  • Durham Region Hospice
  • Girls Inc. of Durham
  • High School Bursaries
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Pickering Township Historical Society
  • Pickering Village Jam Fest
  • Rotary Club of Ajax
  • Royal Canadian Legion Br 606 Pickering
  • Salvation Army Hope
  • Scientists in School
  • The Denise House
  • Town of Ajax – Neighbourhood Education Program
Corporate Social Responsibility

"With the support of organizations like Elexicon Energy, the Ajax Mayor’s Gala raised in excess of $250,000 to help our community-building efforts in 2022. Charity of Choice, the Salvation Army Hope Church received over $100,000 to build a commercial kitchen in support of Ajax’s homeless and at-risk individuals. Additional funds have been contributed to hospice and health care in Durham Region, homelessness programs, the Royal Canadian Legion, Durham Region 2023 Ontario Parasport Games, and nutrition and bursary programs which benefit children and youth. The gala would like to extend a sincere thank you to Elexicon for their generous gift to our community.”

– Rose Collier, Gala Chair

Ajax Mayor’s Gala

“Elexicon Energy is a true community company. One that not only supports the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation financially, but is always there to help at events as volunteers, with equipment and much more. Happy to be the Title Sponsor for the Inaugural Bike For Bones Ride, Elexicon traveled the path with us and was an integral partner in the success of the event. Working alongside companies like Elexicon, where the employees work and live in the community they supply, is what makes our community the best place to be!”

– Tracy Paterson, CEO

Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation

“Elexicon Energy’s support of the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region helps provide counselling, support and education for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families. Your generous contribution helps ensure those living with dementia have access to the services they need, and their families and care partners are supported and prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you for investing in our community and helping to improve the quality of life for those impacted by dementia in Durham Region.”

– Kendel Ferrara, Director of Philanthropy

Alzheimer Society of Durham Region

“Girls are critical to ensuring our STEM industries are innovative, diverse, and responsive to the needs of our society. With the support of Elexicon, Girls Inc. of Durham has been able to provide girls in Durham Region at our after-school programming with the opportunity to discover and develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems. Trained programming staff nurture and develop STEM dreams where girls do the hard work of rising to challenges, taking positive risks and reaching their goals. Our girls rise because of the support of companies like Elexicon!”

– Tracy McCannell, Director of Programming

Girls Inc. of Durham

“Scientists in School is grateful for the support of Elexicon Energy through their Corporate Giving Program. Through our partnership we have helped to deepen impact across our mutual service communities for our mission to ignite scientific curiosity in young learners. Complimentary engaging, investigative classroom workshops in elementary schools have helped to heighten STEM confidence and interest, and build bridges to bright futures and a thoughtful citizenry. Thank you to Elexicon Energy for believing in the importance of STEM enrichment education for local children and youth.”

– Cindy Adams, Executive Director

Scientists in School

City of Belleville

Image for Belleville

We proudly serve 18,000 residential and business customers in the City of Belleville with reliable and affordable energy services.

The Community Reports support our commitment to transparency and keeping our shareholder communities up to date on our activities more frequently. The reports include information on Customer Service, System Reliability, Operations and Asset Improvements, Communications and Thought Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability, Industry News and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Have a question or require more information? communications@elexiconenergy.com

Customer Experience

  • The Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) announced no changes to Time-of-Use (“TOU”) and Tiered electricity rates for May 1st, 2022. However, May 1st marks the start of the summer TOU hours and Tiered thresholds. This change impacts all customers under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).
  • The OEB’s residential Winter Disconnection Banended on April 30th. Elexicon Energy has resumed regular business practices of disconnecting customers (all customer classes) for non-payment with a focus on those customers who have the highest arrears. Elexicon has also resumed disconnections for customers who have not contracted for service (nonsign-up).
  • Residential and small business customers can choose their price plan, either TOU or Tiered pricing. Customers are not required to select a price plan but if they wish to switch, they must notify Elexicon by completing and submitting an election form. As of June 30th, 5,994 Elexicon customers (or 3.4 per cent) have changed their pricing structure or are in the process of doing so.
  • There are financial assistance programs in place to support customers, including the Ontario Electricity Support Programand the Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Elexicon continues to encourage customers experiencing difficulty paying their bill to contact us to discuss bill payment options.
  • Elexicon values its customers, and our Customer Experience team strives to provide customers with assistance in a timely and respectful manner. Provided below are the number of calls and written enquires our Customer Experience team received and responded to in Q2 2022.
    • Phone Calls

    April: 7,316

    May: 9,601

    June: 9,020

    TOTAL: 25,937

    Written Enquiries

    April: 999

    May: 1,017

    June: 1,397

    TOTAL: 3,413

System Reliability

More than 18,000 homes and businesses in the City of Belleville depend on a steady supply of electricity to power their lives. Elexicon Energy takes service reliability very seriously and continues to monitor and mitigate any trends to ensure system reliability.

The numbers provided below do not include major weather events, such as the May 21st powerful derecho storm that blew across southern and eastern Ontario spawning an EF2 tornado in Uxbridge resulting in the township declaring a state of emergency. More than 900,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Ontario and Quebec, including 64,000 Elexicon Energy customers at its peak. The damage was unprecedented and more devastating on our electricity distribution system than the historic ice storm in 2013. Our Uxbridge West Substation was severely damaged and required significant repairs, more than 100 poles needed replacing, and many trees and large branches brought down power lines.

A few weeks later, on June 16, another powerful storm struck parts of southern and central Ontario. The City of Belleville was hit hard, with more than 15,000 customers without power after the skies cleared. Damage was significant and widespread throughout the city. Community officials and residents said they haven’t seen a storm that severe in years.

System Reliability
The average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.56 compared to 0.24 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Adverse Weather*:
6,652 hrs compared to 0 hrs in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
1,602 hrs compared to 611 hrs in Q2 2021

Tree Contacts:
1,426 hrs compared to 9,906 hrs in Q2 2021

TOTAL OUTAGE DURATION IN CUSTOMER HOURS:

10,191 hrs in Q2 2022 compared to 14,244 hrs in Q2 2021

System Reliability
The average number of times that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.14 compared to 0.61 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Adverse Weather*:
23 outages outages compared to 0 outages in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
7 outages compared to 7 outages in Q2 2021

Scheduled Outage**:
7 outages compared to 2 outages in Q2 2021

TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTAGES:

51 in Q2 2022 compared to 18 in Q2 2021

*There were high winds in the area on June 17th and 18th that caused damage to our system mainly due to tree contacts. The major event took place on June 18th. The Sidney F2 feeder was locked-out due to two-phase conductors coming in close contact caused by high winds. This single outage affected 1,236 customers and caused a loss of 1,092 customer hours. Restoration times were longer than usual as crews were busy with the cleanup in the aftermath of the June 16th storm.

**To ensure that our electricity distribution network operates in peak condition, Elexicon conducts important maintenance and construction work that sometimes requires planned power interruptions.

Operations and Asset Improvements

Operations and Asset Improvements
  • Completed: Ten (10) pole replacements to replace aging infrastructure and increase reliability.
  • Completed: Seven (7) in-line switch replacements to replace aging infrastructure.
  • Underway: Insulator washing on Elexicon’s high voltage poles to remove salt and other particulates from the insulators that hold the wires. The washing helps prevent tracking, which can cause power outages and cause damage to infrastructure.

Communications and Thought Leadership

  • April is Dig Safe Month, and Elexicon Energy joined forces with Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, to encourage customers to contact Ontario One Call to have their underground utilities located before digging, planting or starting any outdoor projects.
  • Elexicon Energy has partnered with the Region of Durham on another unique initiative. The Durham Greener Homes Program is a region-wide residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners as they navigate through the deep energy retrofit process in an effort to lower their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Government of Ontario announced that it is launching an Electrification and Energy Transition Panel. The Panel will make recommendations for an integrated energy plan that ensures continued reliability and affordability of the province’s energy supply. Elexicon Energy sees this panel as a step in the right direction for encouraging dialogue across the sector and issued this statement applauding the announcement.
  • Elexicon Energy’s President and CEO, Indrani Butany-DeSouza, spoke at the EUCI’s Leadership Conference for Women in Energy that ran from April 20th to 21st. Indrani had this to say on the topic of women in leadership, “As a woman leader, I cannot stress enough that we all have the opportunity to lift others up. We do not need to lead like a man. We need to get out of our own way and take up our space at the table and make room for others.”
  • Indrani also participated on a panel as part of the CAMPUT Conference that took place May 1st to 4th. The discussion touched on a number of different aspects of the industry and the challenges ahead. Indrani said this, “The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. With a strong focus on achieving net zero carbon emission targets, renewable energy generation is quickly evolving to a scale within reach of the average consumer. It’s important to bring the right people to the table to have these conversations and determine how a more salient symbiotic relationship can be reached between the consumer, the grid and energy ecosystem.”
  • Indrani also spoke at Electricity Canada as part of the Regulatory Forum Panel. Reflecting on the experience she said, “For all of us it was clear, in the longer term, the cost of inaction on climate change is higher than the cost of action. However, this may present some challenges to regulators and regulated companies as costs could increase in the short to medium term. We need defined criteria for the types of sustainability and innovation projects that local distribution companies can undertake. At the same time, we need to remain focused on affordability, safety and reliability for all our customers.”
  • On June 23, Elexicon Corporation, the single shareholder and holding company of Elexicon Energy and Elexicon Group, released its 2021 Annual Report as well as its first Corporate, Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Report to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting.
  • For the first time since 2019, the City of Pickering’s Civic Award Ceremony was hosted in person at City Hall to recognize the outstanding achievements of residents, local businesses and community organizations. Winners are nominated by peers and residents for their outstanding contributions to the community. The winner of the Sustainability Award was Elexicon Energy, Marshall Homes and Opus One Solutions for creating Altona Towns – Canada’s first pre-planned residential microgrid community located in west Pickering.
Communications Thought Leadership

Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
  • The Electricity Distributors Association (“EDA”) released a paper titled, "The Power of Sustainability: How Local Distribution Companies Can Enable a Net Zero Future." In the paper, the EDA makes recommendations about the evolving role of local distribution companies and guidance required from the Ontario Energy Board. The same recommendations from the report were included in a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault with feedback on the Clean Electricity Standard.
  • The Canadian Climate Institute issued a report on May 4th titled The Big Switch. A previous report by the thinktank found that clean electricity and electrification underpin all credible economy-wide pathways to net zero. The current report states that in order to meet net zero targets two actions are needed: natural gas and coal need to be replaced with cleaner technologies, and vehicles need to move from gasoline to electricity. This all adds up to a lot more demand for electricity. The new report found that in 2050, Canada will need to have 2.2 to 3.4 more installed capacity. The report also makes recommendations for the role federal and provincial governments should take in the transition.
  • The Ministry of Energy is considering offering a reduced electricity rate to hydrogen producers in Ontario in an effort to quickly grow Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen economy. Generally, there seems to be favour in the industry to this approach. However, LDCs and the EDA have noted that LDCs would need to have more discussions to sort out the details on how this could be offered.

Industry News

  • The government made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010. The changes clarify and enable third-party ownership arrangements for net metering, such as leasing, financing and power purchase agreements, providing electricity customers in Ontario more options to participate in net metering. Prior to the amendments, the net metering regulation required the customer to own or operate the renewable generation system to qualify as an eligible generator. Additional details available on the province's website.
  • Proclamation of Bill 87, on October 1, 2020, launched a clear mandate for change at the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”). A new governance framework, along with mandate letters outlining the government’s priorities, established the formal authority to drive modernization, enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. The OEB created an online timeline of the work completed on modernization to date.
  • The Electricity Distributors Association published the spring 2022 issue of their magazine, The Distributor. This issue celebrates the organization’s 110th year and includes a brief history of the sector and other industry news. The magazine is available for reading online here.
  • Summer time-of-use (TOU) rates came into effect on May 1st. During the summertime, the on-peak period shifts to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mid-peak period is 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., and the off-peak period is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Additional details are on the OEB’s website.
  • The OEB made an announcement regarding their regional planning process. In December 2021, the Regional Planning Process Advisory Group (RPPAG) released a report for the OEB with a number of recommended changes to the regional planning process. The OEB published a letter on April 28th with a schedule for implementing the changes recommended in the report. Among the recommendations, the OEB will issue a new bulletin to communities that they have a choice to opt for a “premium” solution (i.e. distributed energy resources, rather than wires) to reflect “local preferences” and the cost responsibility for the premium option beginning in Q2 this year.
Industry News

Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM UPDATE:

  • 2022 Budget: $37,215
  • Amount spent to date: $5,606

RECENT CORPORATE GIVING RECIPIENTS:

  • Belleville General Hospital Foundation
  • Six (6) High School Bursaries
  • The Hastings and Prince Edward County Learning Foundation
Corporate Social Responsibility

“Thank you Elexicon Energy for supporting our Food for Home, Nutrition Pantry program. The Pantry provides food for our vulnerable and insecure youth where students can “shop for” and take home nutritious food. The program has helped students and families facing financial difficulties and helped students who are living on their own and don't have access to money.”

– School Staff

The Hastings and Prince Edward County Learning Foundation

“Based at the Belleville General Hospital site, the Fracture Clinic is one of Quinte Health Care’s busiest service delivery programs. The clinic currently sees over 12,000 patients per year for conditions ranging from broken bones to hip replacements. Each year the Belleville General Hospital Foundation hosts the annual Fairways for Fractures Golf Tournament to raise much needed funds for the fracture clinic and we were thankful for the support of our sponsors, including Elexicon Energy Inc. This support helped us host over 170 golfers, raised over $96,000 for our most successful tournament to date! It is thanks to sponsors like Elexicon that we are able to fund leading edge equipment and deliver expansion projects like the Fracture Clinic. ”

– Jennifer McTavish, Community Events Officer

Belleville General Hospital Foundation

Municipality of Clarington

Image for Clarington

We proudly serve 16,000 residential and business customers in the Municipality of Clarington with reliable and affordable energy services.

The Community Reports support our commitment to transparency and keeping our shareholder communities up to date on our activities more frequently. The reports include information on Customer Service, System Reliability, Operations and Asset Improvements, Communications and Thought Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability, Industry News and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Have a question or require more information? communications@elexiconenergy.com

Customer Experience

  • The Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) announced no changes to Time-of-Use (“TOU”) and Tiered electricity rates for May 1st, 2022. However, May 1st marks the start of the summer TOU hours and Tiered thresholds. This change impacts all customers under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).
  • The OEB’s residential Winter Disconnection Banended on April 30th. Elexicon Energy has resumed regular business practices of disconnecting customers (all customer classes) for non-payment with a focus on those customers who have the highest arrears. Elexicon has also resumed disconnections for customers who have not contracted for service (nonsign-up).
  • Residential and small business customers can choose their price plan, either TOU or Tiered pricing. Customers are not required to select a price plan but if they wish to switch, they must notify Elexicon by completing and submitting an election form. As of June 30th, 5,994 Elexicon customers (or 3.4 per cent) have changed their pricing structure or are in the process of doing so.
  • There are financial assistance programs in place to support customers, including the Ontario Electricity Support Programand the Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Elexicon continues to encourage customers experiencing difficulty paying their bill to contact us to discuss bill payment options.
  • Elexicon values its customers, and our Customer Experience team strives to provide customers with assistance in a timely and respectful manner. Provided below are the number of calls and written enquires our Customer Experience team received and responded to in Q2 2022.
    • Phone Calls

    April: 7,316

    May: 9,601

    June: 9,020

    TOTAL: 25,937

    Written Enquiries

    April: 999

    May: 1,017

    June: 1,397

    TOTAL: 3,413

System Reliability

More than 16,000 homes and businesses in the Municipality of Clarington depend on a steady supply of electricity to power their lives. Elexicon Energy takes service reliability very seriously, and continues to monitor and mitigate any trends to ensure system reliability.

The numbers provided below do not include major weather events, such as the May 21st powerful derecho storm that blew across southern and eastern Ontario spawning an EF2 tornado in Uxbridge resulting in the township declaring a state of emergency. More than 900,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Ontario and Quebec, including 64,000 Elexicon Energy customers at its peak. The damage was unprecedented and more devastating on our electricity distribution system than the historic ice storm in 2013. Our Uxbridge West Substation was severely damaged and required significant repairs, more than 100 poles needed replacing, and many trees and large branches brought down power lines.

System Reliability
The average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.79 compared to 0.21 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Tree Contacts:
8,873 hrs compared to 1,036 hrs in Q2 2021

Loss of Supply:
6,578 hrs compared to 1,331 hrs in Q2 2021

Scheduled Outage**:
1,877 hrs compared to 119 hrs in Q2 2021

TOTAL OUTAGE DURATION IN CUSTOMER HOURS:

19,405 hrs in Q2 2022 compared to 4,667 hrs in Q2 2021

System Reliability
The average number of times that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.36 compared to 0.45 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Foreign Interference*:
10 outages compared to 18 outages in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
3 outages compared to 2 outages in Q2 2021

Tree Contacts:
3 outages compared to 1 outage in Q2 2021

TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTAGES:

21 in Q2 2022 compared to 40 in Q2 2021

*The Ontario Energy Board describes Foreign Interference as interruptions beyond the control of the distributor such as those caused by animals, vehicles, dig-ins, vandalism, sabotage and other foreign interference.

**To ensure that our electricity distribution network operates in peak condition, Elexicon conducts important maintenance and construction work that sometimes requires planned power interruptions.

Operations and Asset Improvements

Operations and Asset Improvements
  • Underway: Insulator washing on Elexicon’s high voltage poles to remove salt and other particulates from the insulators that hold the wires. The washing helps prevent tracking, which can cause power outages and cause damage to infrastructure.

Communications and Thought Leadership

  • April is Dig Safe Month, and Elexicon Energy joined forces with Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, to encourage customers to contact Ontario One Call to have their underground utilities located before digging, planting or starting any outdoor projects.
  • Elexicon Energy has partnered with the Region of Durham on another unique initiative. The Durham Greener Homes Program is a region-wide residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners as they navigate through the deep energy retrofit process in an effort to lower their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Government of Ontario announced that it is launching an Electrification and Energy Transition Panel. The Panel will make recommendations for an integrated energy plan that ensures continued reliability and affordability of the province’s energy supply. Elexicon Energy sees this panel as a step in the right direction for encouraging dialogue across the sector and issued this statement applauding the announcement.
  • Elexicon Energy’s President and CEO, Indrani Butany-DeSouza, spoke at the EUCI’s Leadership Conference for Women in Energy that ran from April 20th to 21st. Indrani had this to say on the topic of women in leadership, “As a woman leader, I cannot stress enough that we all have the opportunity to lift others up. We do not need to lead like a man. We need to get out of our own way and take up our space at the table and make room for others.”
  • Indrani also participated on a panel as part of the CAMPUT Conference that took place May 1st to 4th. The discussion touched on a number of different aspects of the industry and the challenges ahead. Indrani said this, “The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. With a strong focus on achieving net zero carbon emission targets, renewable energy generation is quickly evolving to a scale within reach of the average consumer. It’s important to bring the right people to the table to have these conversations and determine how a more salient symbiotic relationship can be reached between the consumer, the grid and energy ecosystem.”
  • Indrani also spoke at Electricity Canada as part of the Regulatory Forum Panel. Reflecting on the experience she said, “For all of us it was clear, in the longer term, the cost of inaction on climate change is higher than the cost of action. However, this may present some challenges to regulators and regulated companies as costs could increase in the short to medium term. We need defined criteria for the types of sustainability and innovation projects that local distribution companies can undertake. At the same time, we need to remain focused on affordability, safety and reliability for all our customers.”
  • On June 23, Elexicon Corporation, the single shareholder and holding company of Elexicon Energy and Elexicon Group, released its 2021 Annual Report as well as its first Corporate, Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Report to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting.
  • For the first time since 2019, the City of Pickering’s Civic Award Ceremony was hosted in person at City Hall to recognize the outstanding achievements of residents, local businesses and community organizations. Winners are nominated by peers and residents for their outstanding contributions to the community. The winner of the Sustainability Award was Elexicon Energy, Marshall Homes and Opus One Solutions for creating Altona Towns – Canada’s first pre-planned residential microgrid community located in west Pickering.
Communications Thought Leadership

Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
  • The Electricity Distributors Association (“EDA”) released a paper titled, "The Power of Sustainability: How Local Distribution Companies Can Enable a Net Zero Future." In the paper, the EDA makes recommendations about the evolving role of local distribution companies and guidance required from the Ontario Energy Board. The same recommendations from the report were included in a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault with feedback on the Clean Electricity Standard.
  • The Canadian Climate Institute issued a report on May 4th titled The Big Switch. A previous report by the thinktank found that clean electricity and electrification underpin all credible economy-wide pathways to net zero. The current report states that in order to meet net zero targets two actions are needed: natural gas and coal need to be replaced with cleaner technologies, and vehicles need to move from gasoline to electricity. This all adds up to a lot more demand for electricity. The new report found that in 2050, Canada will need to have 2.2 to 3.4 more installed capacity. The report also makes recommendations for the role federal and provincial governments should take in the transition.
  • The Ministry of Energy is considering offering a reduced electricity rate to hydrogen producers in Ontario in an effort to quickly grow Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen economy. Generally, there seems to be favour in the industry to this approach. However, LDCs and the EDA have noted that LDCs would need to have more discussions to sort out the details on how this could be offered.

Industry News

  • The government made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010. The changes clarify and enable third-party ownership arrangements for net metering, such as leasing, financing and power purchase agreements, providing electricity customers in Ontario more options to participate in net metering. Prior to the amendments, the net metering regulation required the customer to own or operate the renewable generation system to qualify as an eligible generator. Additional details available on the province's website.
  • Proclamation of Bill 87, on October 1, 2020, launched a clear mandate for change at the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”). A new governance framework, along with mandate letters outlining the government’s priorities, established the formal authority to drive modernization, enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. The OEB created an online timeline of the work completed on modernization to date.
  • The Electricity Distributors Association published the spring 2022 issue of their magazine, The Distributor. This issue celebrates the organization’s 110th year and includes a brief history of the sector and other industry news. The magazine is available for reading online here.
  • Summer time-of-use (TOU) rates came into effect on May 1st. During the summertime, the on-peak period shifts to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mid-peak period is 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., and the off-peak period is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Additional details are on the OEB’s website.
  • The OEB made an announcement regarding their regional planning process. In December 2021, the Regional Planning Process Advisory Group (RPPAG) released a report for the OEB with a number of recommended changes to the regional planning process. The OEB published a letter on April 28th with a schedule for implementing the changes recommended in the report. Among the recommendations, the OEB will issue a new bulletin to communities that they have a choice to opt for a “premium” solution (i.e. distributed energy resources, rather than wires) to reflect “local preferences” and the cost responsibility for the premium option beginning in Q2 this year.
Industry News

Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM UPDATE:

  • 2022 Budget: $32,968
  • Amount spent to date: $15,884

RECENT CORPORATE GIVING RECIPIENTS:

  • Alzheimer Society of Durham Region
  • Clarington Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Clarington Community Gala
  • Durham Kids Safety Village
  • High School Bursaries
  • Rotary Club of Bowmanville
  • Royal Canadian Legion
  • Scientists in School
  • The Denise House
Corporate Social Responsibility

"Elexicon Energy’s support of the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region helps provide counselling, support and education for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families. Your generous contribution helps ensure those living with dementia have access to the services they need, and their families and care partners are supported and prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you for investing in our community and helping to improve the quality of life for those impacted by dementia in Durham Region.”

– Kendel Ferrara, Director of Philanthropy

Alzheimer Society of Durham Region

“Scientists in School is grateful for the support of Elexicon Energy through their Corporate Giving Program. Through our partnership we have helped to deepen impact across our mutual service communities for our mission to ignite scientific curiosity in young learners. Complimentary engaging, investigative classroom workshops in elementary schools have helped to heighten STEM confidence and interest, and build bridges to bright futures and a thoughtful citizenry. Thank you to Elexicon Energy for believing in the importance of STEM enrichment education for local children and youth.”

– Cindy Adams, Executive Director

Scientists in School

“At The Denise House we hold therapeutic wellness groups for our women. Our groups provide a safe and supportive environment for women to share, heal and support one another. An evaluation and check in are completed after every group, and women will often share how helpful the information was for their understanding of abuse and their new beginning. We are grateful for the support we receive from Elexicon Energy as your donations have helped to fund these groups and purchase the tools needed to encourage interaction, discovery and play. Thank you ALL so much!”

– Dena Sicard, Fund Development & Community Connector

The Denise House

City of Pickering

Image for Pickering

We proudly serve 34,000 residential and business customers in the City of Pickering with reliable and affordable energy services.

The Community Reports support our commitment to transparency and keeping our shareholder communities up to date on our activities more frequently. The reports include information on Customer Service, System Reliability, Operations and Asset Improvements, Communications and Thought Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability, Industry News and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Have a question or require more information? communications@elexiconenergy.com

Customer Experience

  • The Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) announced no changes to Time-of-Use (“TOU”) and Tiered electricity rates for May 1st, 2022. However, May 1st marks the start of the summer TOU hours and Tiered thresholds. This change impacts all customers under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).
  • The OEB’s residential Winter Disconnection Banended on April 30th. Elexicon Energy has resumed regular business practices of disconnecting customers (all customer classes) for non-payment with a focus on those customers who have the highest arrears. Elexicon has also resumed disconnections for customers who have not contracted for service (nonsign-up).
  • Residential and small business customers can choose their price plan, either TOU or Tiered pricing. Customers are not required to select a price plan but if they wish to switch, they must notify Elexicon by completing and submitting an election form. As of June 30th, 5,994 Elexicon customers (or 3.4 per cent) have changed their pricing structure or are in the process of doing so.
  • There are financial assistance programs in place to support customers, including the Ontario Electricity Support Programand the Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Elexicon continues to encourage customers experiencing difficulty paying their bill to contact us to discuss bill payment options.
  • Elexicon values its customers, and our Customer Experience team strives to provide customers with assistance in a timely and respectful manner. Provided below are the number of calls and written enquires our Customer Experience team received and responded to in Q2 2022.
    • Phone Calls

    April: 7,316

    May: 9,601

    June: 9,020

    TOTAL: 25,937

    Written Enquiries

    April: 999

    May: 1,017

    June: 1,397

    TOTAL: 3,413

System Reliability

More than 34,000 homes and businesses in the City of Pickering depend on a steady supply of electricity to power their lives. Elexicon Energy takes service reliability very seriously and continues to monitor and mitigate any trends to ensure system reliability.

The numbers provided below do not include major weather events, such as the May 21st powerful derecho storm that blew across southern and eastern Ontario spawning an EF2 tornado in Uxbridge resulting in the township declaring a state of emergency. More than 900,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Ontario and Quebec, including 64,000 Elexicon Energy customers at its peak. The damage was unprecedented and more devastating on our electricity distribution system than the historic ice storm in 2013. Our Uxbridge West Substation was severely damaged and required significant repairs, more than 100 poles needed replacing, and many trees and large branches brought down power lines.

System Reliability
The average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.22 compared to 0.24 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Defective Equipment:
3,665 hrs compared to 3,634 hrs in Q2 2021

Foreign Interference*:
2,131 hrs compared to 1,034 hrs in Q2 2021

Scheduled Outage:
778 hrs** compared to 279 hrs in Q2 2021

TOTAL OUTAGE DURATION IN CUSTOMER HOURS:

7,512 hrs in Q2 2022 compared to 8,238 hrs in Q2 2021

System Reliability
The average number of times that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.47 compared to 0.21 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Defective Equipment:
14 outages compared to 13 outages in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
7 outages compared to 9 outages in Q2 2021

Foreign Interference*:
13 outages compared to 13 outages in Q2 2021

TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTAGES:

44 in Q2 2022 compared to 55 in Q2 2021

*The Ontario Energy Board describes Foreign Interference as interruptions beyond the control of the distributor such as those caused by animals, vehicles, dig-ins, vandalism, sabotage and other foreign interference.

**To ensure that our electricity distribution network operates in peak condition, Elexicon conducts important maintenance and construction work that sometimes requires planned power interruptions.

Operations and Asset Improvements

Operations and Asset Improvements
  • Completed: Ten (10) pad-mount transformer replacements to improve aging equipment.
  • Completed: Twelve (12) pole replacements to replace aging infrastructure and increase reliability.
  • Underway: Tree trimming activity in areas throughout Pickering. The proactive work and preventative maintenance helps ensure public safety and the reliable operation of our distribution system during major weather events. The work started on March 21st and should be wrapped up by June 30th, 2022.
  • Underway: Insulator washing on Elexicon’s high voltage poles to remove salt and other particulates from the insulators that hold the wires. The washing helps prevent tracking, which can cause power outages and cause damage to infrastructure.

Communications and Thought Leadership

  • April is Dig Safe Month, and Elexicon Energy joined forces with Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, to encourage customers to contact Ontario One Call to have their underground utilities located before digging, planting or starting any outdoor projects.
  • Elexicon Energy has partnered with the Region of Durham on another unique initiative. The Durham Greener Homes Program is a region-wide residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners as they navigate through the deep energy retrofit process in an effort to lower their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Government of Ontario announced that it is launching an Electrification and Energy Transition Panel. The Panel will make recommendations for an integrated energy plan that ensures continued reliability and affordability of the province’s energy supply. Elexicon Energy sees this panel as a step in the right direction for encouraging dialogue across the sector and issued this statement applauding the announcement.
  • Elexicon Energy’s President and CEO, Indrani Butany-DeSouza, spoke at the EUCI’s Leadership Conference for Women in Energy that ran from April 20th to 21st. Indrani had this to say on the topic of women in leadership, “As a woman leader, I cannot stress enough that we all have the opportunity to lift others up. We do not need to lead like a man. We need to get out of our own way and take up our space at the table and make room for others.”
  • Indrani also participated on a panel as part of the CAMPUT Conference that took place May 1st to 4th. The discussion touched on a number of different aspects of the industry and the challenges ahead. Indrani said this, “The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. With a strong focus on achieving net zero carbon emission targets, renewable energy generation is quickly evolving to a scale within reach of the average consumer. It’s important to bring the right people to the table to have these conversations and determine how a more salient symbiotic relationship can be reached between the consumer, the grid and energy ecosystem.”
  • Indrani also spoke at Electricity Canada as part of the Regulatory Forum Panel. Reflecting on the experience she said, “For all of us it was clear, in the longer term, the cost of inaction on climate change is higher than the cost of action. However, this may present some challenges to regulators and regulated companies as costs could increase in the short to medium term. We need defined criteria for the types of sustainability and innovation projects that local distribution companies can undertake. At the same time, we need to remain focused on affordability, safety and reliability for all our customers.”
  • On June 23, Elexicon Corporation, the single shareholder and holding company of Elexicon Energy and Elexicon Group, released its 2021 Annual Report as well as its first Corporate, Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Report to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting.
  • For the first time since 2019, the City of Pickering’s Civic Award Ceremony was hosted in person at City Hall to recognize the outstanding achievements of residents, local businesses and community organizations. Winners are nominated by peers and residents for their outstanding contributions to the community. The winner of the Sustainability Award was Elexicon Energy, Marshall Homes and Opus One Solutions for creating Altona Towns – Canada’s first pre-planned residential microgrid community located in west Pickering.
Communications Thought Leadership

Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
  • The Electricity Distributors Association (“EDA”) released a paper titled, "The Power of Sustainability: How Local Distribution Companies Can Enable a Net Zero Future." In the paper, the EDA makes recommendations about the evolving role of local distribution companies and guidance required from the Ontario Energy Board. The same recommendations from the report were included in a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault with feedback on the Clean Electricity Standard.
  • The Canadian Climate Institute issued a report on May 4th titled The Big Switch. A previous report by the thinktank found that clean electricity and electrification underpin all credible economy-wide pathways to net zero. The current report states that in order to meet net zero targets two actions are needed: natural gas and coal need to be replaced with cleaner technologies, and vehicles need to move from gasoline to electricity. This all adds up to a lot more demand for electricity. The new report found that in 2050, Canada will need to have 2.2 to 3.4 more installed capacity. The report also makes recommendations for the role federal and provincial governments should take in the transition.
  • The Ministry of Energy is considering offering a reduced electricity rate to hydrogen producers in Ontario in an effort to quickly grow Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen economy. Generally, there seems to be favour in the industry to this approach. However, LDCs and the EDA have noted that LDCs would need to have more discussions to sort out the details on how this could be offered.

Industry News

  • The government made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010. The changes clarify and enable third-party ownership arrangements for net metering, such as leasing, financing and power purchase agreements, providing electricity customers in Ontario more options to participate in net metering. Prior to the amendments, the net metering regulation required the customer to own or operate the renewable generation system to qualify as an eligible generator. Additional details available on the province's website.
  • Proclamation of Bill 87, on October 1, 2020, launched a clear mandate for change at the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”). A new governance framework, along with mandate letters outlining the government’s priorities, established the formal authority to drive modernization, enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. The OEB created an online timeline of the work completed on modernization to date.
  • The Electricity Distributors Association published the spring 2022 issue of their magazine, The Distributor. This issue celebrates the organization’s 110th year and includes a brief history of the sector and other industry news. The magazine is available for reading online here.
  • Summer time-of-use (TOU) rates came into effect on May 1st. During the summertime, the on-peak period shifts to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mid-peak period is 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., and the off-peak period is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Additional details are on the OEB’s website.
  • The OEB made an announcement regarding their regional planning process. In December 2021, the Regional Planning Process Advisory Group (RPPAG) released a report for the OEB with a number of recommended changes to the regional planning process. The OEB published a letter on April 28th with a schedule for implementing the changes recommended in the report. Among the recommendations, the OEB will issue a new bulletin to communities that they have a choice to opt for a “premium” solution (i.e. distributed energy resources, rather than wires) to reflect “local preferences” and the cost responsibility for the premium option beginning in Q2 this year.
Industry News

Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM UPDATE:

  • 2022 Budget: $68,982
  • Amount spent to date: $40,336

RECENT CORPORATE GIVING RECIPIENTS:

  • Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation
  • Alzheimer Society of Durham
  • City of Pickering – Artfest
  • Durham Kids Safety Village
  • Durham Region Hospice
  • Girls Inc. of Durham
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Pickering Township Historical Society
  • Rotary Club of Ajax
  • Royal Canadian Legion Branch 606 Pickering
  • Salvation Army Hope
  • Scientists in School
  • The Denise House
Corporate Social Responsibility

"Elexicon Energy is a true community company. One that not only supports the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation financially, but is always there to help at events as volunteers, with equipment and much more. Happy to be the Title Sponsor for the Inaugural Bike For Bones Ride, Elexicon traveled the path with us and was an integral partner in the success of the event. Working alongside companies like Elexicon, where the employees work and live in the community they supply, is what makes our community the best place to be!”

– Tracy Paterson, CEO

Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation

“Elexicon Energy’s support of the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region helps provide counselling, support and education for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families. Your generous contribution helps ensure those living with dementia have access to the services they need, and their families and care partners are supported and prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you for investing in our community and helping to improve the quality of life for those impacted by dementia in Durham Region.”

– Kendel Ferrara, Director of Philanthropy

Alzheimer Society of Durham Region

“Girls are critical to ensuring our STEM industries are innovative, diverse, and responsive to the needs of our society. With the support of Elexicon, Girls Inc. of Durham has been able to provide girls in Durham Region at our after-school programming with the opportunity to discover and develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems. Trained programming staff nurture and develop STEM dreams where girls do the hard work of rising to challenges, taking positive risks and reaching their goals. Our girls rise because of the support of companies like Elexicon!”

– Tracy McCannell, Director of Programming

Girls Inc. of Durham

“Scientists in School is grateful for the support of Elexicon Energy through their Corporate Giving Program. Through our partnership we have helped to deepen impact across our mutual service communities for our mission to ignite scientific curiosity in young learners. Complimentary engaging, investigative classroom workshops in elementary schools have helped to heighten STEM confidence and interest, and build bridges to bright futures and a thoughtful citizenry. Thank you to Elexicon Energy for believing in the importance of STEM enrichment education for local children and youth.”

– Cindy Adams, Executive Director

Scientists in School

“At The Denise House we hold therapeutic wellness groups for our women. Our groups provide a safe and supportive environment for women to share, heal and support one another. An evaluation and check in are completed after every group, and women will often share how helpful the information was for their understanding of abuse and their new beginning. We are grateful for the support we receive from Elexicon Energy as your donations have helped to fund these groups and purchase the tools needed to encourage interaction, discovery and play. Thank you ALL so much!”

– Dena Sicard, Fund Development & Community Connector

The Denise House

Town of Whitby

Image for Whitby

We proudly serve 46,500 residential and business customers in the Town of Whitby with reliable and affordable energy services.

The Community Reports support our commitment to transparency and keeping our shareholder communities up to date on our activities more frequently. The reports include information on Customer Service, System Reliability, Operations and Asset Improvements, Communications and Thought Leadership, Innovation and Sustainability, Industry News and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Have a question or require more information? communications@elexiconenergy.com

Customer Experience

  • The Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”) announced no changes to Time-of-Use (“TOU”) and Tiered electricity rates for May 1st, 2022. However, May 1st marks the start of the summer TOU hours and Tiered thresholds. This change impacts all customers under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP).
  • The OEB’s residential Winter Disconnection Banended on April 30th. Elexicon Energy has resumed regular business practices of disconnecting customers (all customer classes) for non-payment with a focus on those customers who have the highest arrears. Elexicon has also resumed disconnections for customers who have not contracted for service (nonsign-up).
  • Residential and small business customers can choose their price plan, either TOU or Tiered pricing. Customers are not required to select a price plan but if they wish to switch, they must notify Elexicon by completing and submitting an election form. As of June 30th, 5,994 Elexicon customers (or 3.4 per cent) have changed their pricing structure or are in the process of doing so.
  • There are financial assistance programs in place to support customers, including the Ontario Electricity Support Programand the Low-income Energy Assistance Program. Elexicon continues to encourage customers experiencing difficulty paying their bill to contact us to discuss bill payment options.
  • Elexicon values its customers, and our Customer Experience team strives to provide customers with assistance in a timely and respectful manner. Provided below are the number of calls and written enquires our Customer Experience team received and responded to in Q2 2022.
    • Phone Calls

    April: 7,316

    May: 9,601

    June: 9,020

    TOTAL: 25,937

    Written Enquiries

    April: 999

    May: 1,017

    June: 1,397

    TOTAL: 3,413

System Reliability

More than 45,000 homes and businesses in the Town of Whitby depend on a steady supply of electricity to power their lives. Elexicon Energy takes service reliability very seriously and continues to monitor and mitigate any trends to ensure system reliability.

The numbers provided below do not include major weather events, such as the May 21st powerful derecho storm that blew across southern and eastern Ontario spawning an EF2 tornado in Uxbridge resulting in the township declaring a state of emergency. More than 900,000 homes and businesses were left without power across Ontario and Quebec, including 64,000 Elexicon Energy customers at its peak. The damage was unprecedented and more devastating on our electricity distribution system than the historic ice storm in 2013. Our Uxbridge West Substation was severely damaged and required significant repairs, more than 100 poles needed replacing, and many trees and large branches brought down power lines.

System Reliability
The average number of hours that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.31 compared to 0.17 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Tree Contacts**:
12,104 hrs compared to 67 hrs in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
1,775 hrs compared to 1,669 hrs in Q2 2021

Defective Equipment:
339 hrs compared to 2,929 hrs in Q2 2021

TOTAL OUTAGE DURATION IN CUSTOMER HOURS:

14,510 hrs in Q2 2022 compared to 7,888 hrs in Q2 2021

System Reliability
The average number of times that power to a customer was interrupted in Q2 2022 was 0.39 compared to 0.14 in Q2 2021.

TOP THREE REASONS FOR OUTAGE DURATION IN Q2 2022:

Foreign Interference*:
12 outages compared to 12 outages in Q2 2021

Unknown/Other:
9 outages compared to 4 outages in Q2 2021

Defective Equipment:
7 outages compared to 8 outages in Q2 2021

TOTAL NUMBER OF OUTAGES:

37 in Q2 2022 compared to 39 in Q2 2021

*The Ontario Energy Board describes foreign interference as interruptions beyond the control of the distributor such as those caused by animals, vehicles, dig-ins, vandalism, sabotage and other foreign interference.

**The major contributor to this increase was a falling tree that brought down the overhead conductor on the 44kV feeder interrupting power to all Elexicon owned facilities downstream of this feeder affecting 9,663 customers. This single event caused a loss of 12,070 customer hours with an outage duration just over two hours.

Operations and Asset Improvements

Operations and Asset Improvements
  • Completed: Garrard pole line relocations at Taunton Road and Conlin Road as well as north and east of Conlin.
  • Completed: Pole line re-build on Burns St. E. near Garden St. and Stanley Ct.
  • Completed: Pole line relocation of road relocation on Victoria Street East and South Blair Street.
  • Underway: Tree trimming activity in areas throughout Whitby. The proactive work and preventative maintenance helps ensure public safety and the reliable operation of our distribution system during major weather events. The work started on March 21st and should be wrapped up by June 30th, 2022.
  • Underway: Insulator washing on Elexicon’s high voltage poles to remove salt and other particulates from the insulators that hold the wires. The washing helps prevent tracking, which can cause power outages and cause damage to infrastructure.

Communications and Thought Leadership

  • April is Dig Safe Month, and Elexicon Energy joined forces with Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa and Toronto Hydro, to encourage customers to contact Ontario One Call to have their underground utilities located before digging, planting or starting any outdoor projects.
  • Elexicon Energy has partnered with the Region of Durham on another unique initiative. The Durham Greener Homes Program is a region-wide residential energy retrofit program designed to support homeowners as they navigate through the deep energy retrofit process in an effort to lower their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The Government of Ontario announced that it is launching an Electrification and Energy Transition Panel. The Panel will make recommendations for an integrated energy plan that ensures continued reliability and affordability of the province’s energy supply. Elexicon Energy sees this panel as a step in the right direction for encouraging dialogue across the sector and issued this statement applauding the announcement.
  • Elexicon Energy’s President and CEO, Indrani Butany-DeSouza, spoke at the EUCI’s Leadership Conference for Women in Energy that ran from April 20th to 21st. Indrani had this to say on the topic of women in leadership, “As a woman leader, I cannot stress enough that we all have the opportunity to lift others up. We do not need to lead like a man. We need to get out of our own way and take up our space at the table and make room for others.”
  • Indrani also participated on a panel as part of the CAMPUT Conference that took place May 1st to 4th. The discussion touched on a number of different aspects of the industry and the challenges ahead. Indrani said this, “The energy industry is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in decades. With a strong focus on achieving net zero carbon emission targets, renewable energy generation is quickly evolving to a scale within reach of the average consumer. It’s important to bring the right people to the table to have these conversations and determine how a more salient symbiotic relationship can be reached between the consumer, the grid and energy ecosystem.”
  • Indrani also spoke at Electricity Canada as part of the Regulatory Forum Panel. Reflecting on the experience she said, “For all of us it was clear, in the longer term, the cost of inaction on climate change is higher than the cost of action. However, this may present some challenges to regulators and regulated companies as costs could increase in the short to medium term. We need defined criteria for the types of sustainability and innovation projects that local distribution companies can undertake. At the same time, we need to remain focused on affordability, safety and reliability for all our customers.”
  • On June 23, Elexicon Corporation, the single shareholder and holding company of Elexicon Energy and Elexicon Group, released its 2021 Annual Report as well as its first Corporate, Environmental and Social Responsibility (CESR) Report to its shareholders at its Annual General Meeting.
  • For the first time since 2019, the City of Pickering’s Civic Award Ceremony was hosted in person at City Hall to recognize the outstanding achievements of residents, local businesses and community organizations. Winners are nominated by peers and residents for their outstanding contributions to the community. The winner of the Sustainability Award was Elexicon Energy, Marshall Homes and Opus One Solutions for creating Altona Towns – Canada’s first pre-planned residential microgrid community located in west Pickering.
Communications Thought Leadership

Innovation and Sustainability

Innovation and Sustainability
  • The Electricity Distributors Association (“EDA”) released a paper titled, "The Power of Sustainability: How Local Distribution Companies Can Enable a Net Zero Future." In the paper, the EDA makes recommendations about the evolving role of local distribution companies and guidance required from the Ontario Energy Board. The same recommendations from the report were included in a letter to Minister Steven Guilbeault with feedback on the Clean Electricity Standard.
  • The Canadian Climate Institute issued a report on May 4th titled The Big Switch. A previous report by the thinktank found that clean electricity and electrification underpin all credible economy-wide pathways to net zero. The current report states that in order to meet net zero targets two actions are needed: natural gas and coal need to be replaced with cleaner technologies, and vehicles need to move from gasoline to electricity. This all adds up to a lot more demand for electricity. The new report found that in 2050, Canada will need to have 2.2 to 3.4 more installed capacity. The report also makes recommendations for the role federal and provincial governments should take in the transition.
  • The Ministry of Energy is considering offering a reduced electricity rate to hydrogen producers in Ontario in an effort to quickly grow Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen economy. Generally, there seems to be favour in the industry to this approach. However, LDCs and the EDA have noted that LDCs would need to have more discussions to sort out the details on how this could be offered.

Industry News

  • The government made amendments to Ontario’s net metering regulation (O. Reg. 541/05), under the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, and consequential amendments to O. Reg. 389/10 (General) under the Energy Consumer Protection Act, 2010. The changes clarify and enable third-party ownership arrangements for net metering, such as leasing, financing and power purchase agreements, providing electricity customers in Ontario more options to participate in net metering. Prior to the amendments, the net metering regulation required the customer to own or operate the renewable generation system to qualify as an eligible generator. Additional details available on the province's website.
  • Proclamation of Bill 87, on October 1, 2020, launched a clear mandate for change at the Ontario Energy Board (“OEB”). A new governance framework, along with mandate letters outlining the government’s priorities, established the formal authority to drive modernization, enhance public trust, promote accountability, and deliver value for money for the people of Ontario. The OEB created an online timeline of the work completed on modernization to date.
  • The Electricity Distributors Association published the spring 2022 issue of their magazine, The Distributor. This issue celebrates the organization’s 110th year and includes a brief history of the sector and other industry news. The magazine is available for reading online here.
  • Summer time-of-use (TOU) rates came into effect on May 1st. During the summertime, the on-peak period shifts to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mid-peak period is 7 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m., and the off-peak period is 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Additional details are on the OEB’s website.
  • The OEB made an announcement regarding their regional planning process. In December 2021, the Regional Planning Process Advisory Group (RPPAG) released a report for the OEB with a number of recommended changes to the regional planning process. The OEB published a letter on April 28th with a schedule for implementing the changes recommended in the report. Among the recommendations, the OEB will issue a new bulletin to communities that they have a choice to opt for a “premium” solution (i.e. distributed energy resources, rather than wires) to reflect “local preferences” and the cost responsibility for the premium option beginning in Q2 this year.
Industry News

Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAM UPDATE:

  • 2022 Budget: $91,503
  • Amount spent to date: $43,939

RECENT CORPORATE GIVING RECIPIENTS:

  • Alzheimer Society of Durham Region
  • Durham Kids Safety Village
  • Durham Region Hospice
  • Girls Inc. of Durham
  • Knights of Columbus
  • Scientists in School
  • The Denise House
  • Town of Whitby: EV Charging Stations, Youth Week, Urban Beehive
Corporate Social Responsibility

"Elexicon Energy’s support of the Alzheimer Society of Durham Region helps provide counselling, support and education for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families. Your generous contribution helps ensure those living with dementia have access to the services they need, and their families and care partners are supported and prepared for the journey ahead. Thank you for investing in our community and helping to improve the quality of life for those impacted by dementia in Durham Region.”

– Kendel Ferrara, Director of Philanthropy

Alzheimer Society of Durham Region

“Girls are critical to ensuring our STEM industries are innovative, diverse, and responsive to the needs of our society. With the support of Elexicon, Girls Inc. of Durham has been able to provide girls in Durham Region at our after-school programming with the opportunity to discover and develop skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on activities, girls explore, ask questions, persist, and solve problems. Trained programming staff nurture and develop STEM dreams where girls do the hard work of rising to challenges, taking positive risks and reaching their goals. Our girls rise because of the support of companies like Elexicon!”

– Tracy McCannell, Director of Programming

Girls Inc. of Durham

“Scientists in School is grateful for the support of Elexicon Energy through their Corporate Giving Program. Through our partnership we have helped to deepen impact across our mutual service communities for our mission to ignite scientific curiosity in young learners. Complimentary engaging, investigative classroom workshops in elementary schools have helped to heighten STEM confidence and interest, and build bridges to bright futures and a thoughtful citizenry. Thank you to Elexicon Energy for believing in the importance of STEM enrichment education for local children and youth.”

– Cindy Adams, Executive Director

Scientists in School

“At The Denise House we hold therapeutic wellness groups for our women. Our groups provide a safe and supportive environment for women to share, heal and support one another. An evaluation and check in are completed after every group, and women will often share how helpful the information was for their understanding of abuse and their new beginning. We are grateful for the support we receive from Elexicon Energy as your donations have helped to fund these groups and purchase the tools needed to encourage interaction, discovery and play. Thank you ALL so much!”

– Dena Sicard, Fund Development & Community Connector

The Denise House