Some residents in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., have expressed concerns this year over power outages, with suggestions there’s been a notable uptick in the number of electricity disruptions. But staff with the city’s main utility provider PUC say they’ve been working hard to reduce the length of outages when they occur — and prevent them altogether when possible. Since 2023, the utility has been operating an upgraded technology system called the Smart Grid to address those exact concerns. The company describes it as an electrical power system that uses advanced communications and control systems to monitor and manage the Sault’s power grid and its 34,000 customers. PUC officials say the Smart Grid was a necessary addition to prepare for the changing energy needs at the provincial and federal levels. In a report from three years ago, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) estimated Ontario’s electrical demand will go from 42,000 megawatts in 2023 to 88,000 in 2050. “With data centres, gold at an all time high, the mining industry is about to explode, industrial electrification like we see with Algoma Steel — it made sense to leverage Smart Grid technology to help Ontario transition,” said Joe Simms, PUC’s supervisor of grid intelligence. Lauren MacGillivray, the company’s manager of corporate communications, said the old grid “wasn’t that smart” as it didn’t know how to communicate very well. “It lived off a diet of junk food — like fossil fuels — but now it’s growing up, so we’ve got to prepare it for those healthier, cleaner sources of energy,” she said, referring to solar and wind generation. “It’s also getting more sophisticated in what it can tell us, and what we can tell it.”
How the Smart Grid works in Sault Ste. Marie
One of the Smart Grid’s main features is its automation functions, which allows the system to use sensors and reclosers to detect faults and voltage drops at a much quicker rate than before, according to Simms. He said it can even isolate “damaged” sections of the grid and prevent more people from experiencing a power outage. “This allows us to restore power faster — whether it’s through a manual process or by our automation schemes,” he explained. “It takes control, isolates the fault and restores power on its own.” PUC estimates it has prevented nearly 8,000 residents and businesses from experiencing an outage so far this year, totalling more than 422,000 service minutes. The Smart Grid includes an outage management system, which allows workers to better predict, verify and prioritize outages, according to Simms. He said another feature is its voltage regulation scheme, which can make “educated decisions” on how to optimize the voltage for customers. He said the technology also has the ability to execute real-time monitoring, allowing crews to go out into the field and investigate issues right away. “With all that data coming back, we can notify our customers [of outages] immediately through our customer portal,” he said. The company said the vast majority of outages in Sault Ste. Marie this year were restored in less than an hour because of the Smart Grid’s capabilities. Since its inception in 2023, the project has also been “cost neutral” to customers. People in the Sault pay around the average for electricity rates in Ontario, according to staff. “Sometimes we go below, sometimes we go slightly above depending on where our five-year cost of service application lands,” said Darren Seabrook, PUC’s vice-president of electric operations and engineering. “But our intention is to be within the average of the province and ensure we balance affordability with sustainability.”
PUC addressing concerns around aging infrastructure, copper theft
PUC says the majority of its physical assets in the Sault — like utility poles and transformers — have a lifespan between 40 and 60 years. Some residents that CBC News previously spoke with had raised concerns about the aging infrastructure around town and how replacing it could impact their bills. Simms noted it can be a challenge because of the cost of service application and the processes PUC has to go through in making improvements to the system. But the Smart Grid can help, he said. “With the data we’re collecting now, we can put to the forefront what’s needed at the utility and put a case together in order to get the money we need to make the proper investments in the system.” Seabrook said the company tries to extend the lifespan of its infrastructure as much as possible through regular inspections and maintenance. He noted that PUC conducts inspections on a three-year basis for its poles. “If we can determine that our cedar poles that are 60 or 70 years old are still strong, there’s no point in replacing them,” he said. “You might see an older asset out there, but it might be in really good condition.” During a recent site tour of a transmission station, CBC News learned that PUC has been experiencing an increase in copper thefts. Staff say it’s a significant safety concern for the public, as well as the crews who are coming on-site to work inside the substations. PUC says its workers have installed 24/7 video surveillance, giving their team the ability to alert police when a break-in occurs. “We’ve invested significantly into our video surveillance to try to prevent that,” Seabrook said. “And it’s not just the cost to repair it. People that are coming in don’t typically understand the hazards they’re putting themselves into, and the safety issues they might put our staff into as well.”
