Hydro Ottawa, along with other local distribution companies throughout Ontario, is participating in a province-wide exercise on August 9 to ensure emergency preparedness for our power system.
The voltage reduction tests, conducted by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), are not expected to have any negative effects on electricity consumers.
The two tests include a three per cent voltage reduction from 10-11 a.m., followed by a five per cent reduction from 2-3 p.m. The exercise may be rescheduled to August 11 if system conditions are unfavourable.
Voltage reduction is an emergency operating measure that the IESO can employ in order to protect the reliability of the power system or to avoid the need for rotating power outages when the demand for electricity in the province exceeds supply. The IESO performs this test every 18 months.
Brief voltage reductions of this scale are not noticeable to most customers except for the possibility of a slight dimming of the lights.
To learn more about voltage reductions tests, please consult the IESO website. To report any disruption in power during the exercise or at any other time, please call Hydro Ottawa’s 24-hour Power Outage line at 613-738-0188.