As extreme weather and climate change bring more challenges to power grids, Hydro Ottawa is taking proactive steps to reduce strain and limit potential challenges that would cut off power.
Customers count on the utility to deliver safe and reliable electricity, no matter the weather. In 2025, Hydro Ottawa delivered strong results, keeping the power on 99.97 per cent of the time.
Even with this success, outages still happen. Equipment breaks, wildlife interferes with lines, and storms can damage infrastructure such as poles and wires. Hydro Ottawa continues to improve the grid so it can better withstand these challenges. Each outage gives the team a chance to learn and strengthen its system.
Learning from major storms
The 2022 derecho that hit Ontario was a major learning opportunity for Hydro Ottawa. It was one of the most severe storms in the province’s history and showed that past design standards are no longer enough for today’s climate. Guillaume Paradis, EVP, Distribution, Generation and COO, said the utility must update how it invests in its infrastructure.
“We’ve seen a number of very impactful weather events over the last few years,” Paradis said.
Investing in a stronger grid
Hydro Ottawa updated its construction and maintenance standards to better prevent outages and respond faster when they occur. A common cause of outages is overgrowth of vegetation, which can eventually interfere with power lines. The utility expanded its vegetation management program to reduce tree related outages and now uses AI to identify high risk areas. This change has reduced outages caused by tree contact by 44 per cent compared to the two year average before the 2022 storm.
Hydro Ottawa also identifies locations that are more vulnerable to strong winds and prioritizes replacing those assets with stronger materials, such as composite or concrete poles.
Building for the future
By learning from past storms and investing in smarter, stronger systems, Hydro Ottawa continues to build a grid that can stand up to extreme weather, reduce outages, and keep power flowing for the community.