The Year of the Snake slithered in on January 29, 2025, marking the start of the Lunar New Year - one of the most significant celebrations in East and Southeast Asian cultures. The Snake is a symbol of transformation, requiring adaptability, resilience and wisdom - qualities that offer a compelling lens through which to view the ongoing energy transition. At Hydro Ottawa, these same attributes define our approach to modernizing the energy grid and accelerating electrification.
Transformation is already underway
A snake’s transformation is not just about shedding its skin - it’s a process of renewal, growth, and evolution. In the same way, the energy sector is undergoing a profound shift, moving toward electrification and clean energy. This transformation encompasses how energy is produced, distributed and consumed, and requires new investments, new technologies, and forward-thinking solutions to ensure we’re building a grid that not only meets today’s demands but is prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.
At Hydro Ottawa, this transformation is already underway, driven by the increasing demand for clean electricity and Government mandates. We can see this shift in action as we enter a period of unprecedented growth, expanding our infrastructure at a pace never seen before. Until recently, we built a new substation every five to seven years, but now we are on track to energize a new station nearly every year until 2030. This rapid expansion will help meet growing residential and commercial energy needs while supporting Ottawa’s transition to clean power.
As the demand for clean energy accelerates, so must our investments. Our 2026-2030 investment plan, which will be submitted through our rate application to the Ontario Energy Board this year, has been designed to ensure that the grid evolves in step with these needs. These investments will expand capacity to support electrification, upgrade aging infrastructure, modernize the grid with smart technologies, and strengthen resilience - ensuring reliability while integrating more renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Adaptability: Powering a community in transition
As Ottawa moves toward a low-carbon future, adaptability is key - not just for the grid, but for the businesses, institutions and services that rely on it. In Chinese culture, the snake is seen as a master of adaptation, having the ability to adjust to changing conditions and environments, seamlessly overcoming obstacles in its path. The same can be said for Hydro Ottawa as we help our city adjust to a changing energy landscape by providing the infrastructure, expertise, and partnerships needed to support this transformation.
Our vision is a smart energy future - a future where our energy supply adapts intelligently to changing needs and leverages innovative technologies to benefit our customers and the environment.
By being a partner of choice for local energy projects, we are helping organizations adapt their operations. This includes:
- Zero-emission transit: Enabling the City of Ottawa’s transition to electric buses by ensuring reliable charging infrastructure.
- Sustainable buildings: Supporting The Ottawa Hospital’s New Civic Campus with a central utility plant that delivers low-carbon energy solutions.
- Harnessing waste energy: Partnering in a pilot project to convert wastewater energy into low-carbon heat, demonstrating new ways to maximize efficiency.
Resilience: Strengthening the grid for future challenges
The snake embodies resilience, not just in its ability to endure in the face of challenges, but to recover and emerge stronger. At Hydro Ottawa, we are applying this same mindset as we enhance the reliability of our electricity system to withstand the growing impacts of climate change, extreme weather and recover quickly from disruptions.
We are strengthening the grid by reinforcing infrastructure, upgrading aging equipment to accommodate growing demand, burying power lines in key areas, expanding the integration of renewable energy and smart technologies, such as distributed energy resources, micro grids and storage, to enhance reliability and expand customer options. These investments also enhance resilience against both physical and cyber threats, ensuring long-term reliability
Wisdom: Leveraging technology for smarter energy management
Known for its keen insight and strategic nature, the snake carefully evaluates its surroundings before making strategic moves. Similarly, navigating the energy transition requires a deep understanding of data, technology, and future needs to drive smart, informed decisions.
At Hydro Ottawa, we know that knowledge is power, that’s why we are using advanced technology and real-time data to build a smarter, more efficient energy system. By leveraging predictive analytics, automation, and AI, our smart grid technology can anticipate issues, detect faults instantly, and respond to outages faster. To further support these advancements, we are expanding our fibre network, which serves as the nervous system of our smart grid, enabling real-time monitoring and rapid response.
At the same time, we are equipping customers with wisdom via tools and insights to make informed energy choices and manage their electricity use more efficiently.
- Smart meters: Enable homeowners and businesses to track their electricity consumption in real time, helping them make informed decisions about their energy use. Customers can view their usage by the hour, day, month, or billing period through their MyAccount customer portal.
- Usage data and demand response programs: Initiatives that help customers manage an ecosystem of connected devices such as electric vehicle chargers, thermostats, and heat pumps to optimize energy use and enhance efficiency.
. - Rate plan comparison: Through MyAccount, Hydro Ottawa’s rate calculator uses consumption data to show customers the cost difference between price plans, helping them choose the best option for their needs.
By making small adjustments customers can lower costs and consumption, and help ease demand on the grid, all of which support a smoother transformation to widespread electrification
The Year of the Snake reminds us that transformation takes intention and effort. As we move through 2025, we are channeling the qualities of adaptability, resilience and wisdom to create a future that’s cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable for everyone.
