The grid that sends electricity to our community’s homes and businesses is an engineering marvel. But if we’re going to meet your energy needs and keep up with the demand, we need to make our grid smarter, safer, more reliable and more resilient. That’s the work of grid modernization.
If you’re like most people, you don’t spend much time thinking about the energy grid. You flip a switch and your light turns on. You plug in your phone or tablet and it starts charging. And then it’s on to the next thing. But behind the reliable, instantaneous flow of electricity that reaches your home or business is a true engineering marvel, one that powers the modern world.
The pioneers who built the grid many decades ago could never have envisioned today’s energy demands: roads filled with electric vehicles (EVs), homes packed with electronic devices, power-hungry data centres that enable everything from the convenience of online shopping to accessing information at lightning speed. As Ottawa evolves, so do our energy needs.
To ensure a reliable, resilient and sustainable energy future, we are committed to modernizing our grid, something that all electricity companies throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world are doing. Success will require careful planning and strategic investments to improve what we have now and create new ways for our grid to meet greater and changing energy needs.
What is grid modernization?
Simply put, grid modernization is about making strategic upgrades to our electrical system to meet the changing demands of our growing community. Think of it this way: our current grid has served us well, with much of our infrastructure built 40+ years ago. But just like technology, it needs updates to stay efficient and effective. We're not just replacing everything, though. We're carefully adding new technologies to improve how we manage the grid, creating one that’s smarter and more capable of seamlessly integrating distributed energy sources like rooftop solar panels and residential battery storage systems.
Several factors are driving the need to modernize. Ottawa is growing, and so is the demand for electricity. From new homes and businesses to heat pumps and data centers, the need for power is on the rise. We are working to ensure we can meet these increasing demands reliably and support this dynamic shift.
Ultimately, this is an investment in your future and the future of our community. A modernized grid is better able to support innovation, which will attract new businesses and make existing ones more competitive. And by optimizing the assets we currently have, grid modernization will enable the energy transition without requiring massive new infrastructure investments.
To continue to provide you with the reliable service you depend on, grid modernization is essential. Without it, we will face increasing challenges in maintaining grid reliability, responding to outages as electricity demand grows, putting pressure on our grid, and integrating clean energy sources like rooftop solar. This is why we're committed to making these important investments in our energy future.
The building blocks of grid modernization
So, what new technologies and devices are we adding to the grid, and why?
Imagine building a pyramid, layer by layer. At the base, we're installing smart sensors to collect more information about the grid than ever before. We're also adding devices we can operate remotely to improve our efficiency. Next, we're strengthening the communication network that sends this data to our control centers. Then comes data management systems, which allow us to store and access all that information. Finally, at the top, we use applications and analysis tools to make better decisions based on this data.
All of this gives us a much clearer, real-time view of the grid, helping us manage increased energy demands more effectively. It also gives us smart technology, like the ability to automatically adjust energy flow based on demand. These new tools can also help fuel creative solutions like EV Everywhere, an app that recommends the best time to charge your electric vehicle based on the availability of renewable energy and overall electricity demand.
To help manage the explosive growth in electricity demand that’s coming, we also need to make sure the grid can handle energy coming from different sources, like home battery storage and even your electric car (when it’s not being driven, of course). But right now, the grid is mainly set up to send electricity to you. So, grid modernization also involves enabling a two-way flow where you could send energy back to the grid when it's needed most, if you choose.
These improvements will also make the grid more reliable for you. Right now, you help inform us about power outages. With better data and remote control capabilities, we can respond to outages much faster. This is especially important because extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and we want to minimize disruptions to your service. Additionally, by closely monitoring the grid's health, we can identify and address potential problems early, preventing bigger issues and ensuring we invest wisely in maintaining our equipment.
Empowering you, enabling our energy future
Imagine a future where you have more control over your energy use. That's what we're working towards. The data we collect can help you better understand your energy consumption. And with the two-way flow of energy, you could choose to contribute your stored energy to the grid, playing an active role in managing energy use.
These changes will not only empower you with greater insight and choice but also ensure a more reliable and sustainable energy supply for generations to come. It’s time to modernize our grid and shape Ottawa’s energy future.