Since early summer, many electric customers of Lakefront Utilities Inc. (LUI) in Cobourg have been experiencing an abnormal number of momentary outages. More customers are affected by the momentary outages than usual due to the irregular configuration of the distribution system as LUI constructs a new overhead feeder to support the growing community. This temporary reconfiguration has more customers serviced by the feeder that is experiencing momentary outages. The increase in momentary outages and the increase in the number of electric customers experiencing them has LUI working determinedly to rectify the issue.
A momentary outage is a brief power interruption lasting typically only two or three seconds. It is a normal function of an electrical distribution system, as it helps to prevent damage that could otherwise result in a prolonged and widespread outage. What is not normal is the frequency of these momentary outages in Cobourg, which indicates a faulty component within the distribution system.
“The Board, senior management and staff at Lakefront Utilities are acutely aware of the recent reliability issues. Our customers have entrusted us with the delivery of safe and reliable electricity, and this is a responsibility we do not take lightly,” commented Dereck Paul, President and CEO of Lakefront Utilities Inc. “We can assure our customers that our Electric Department is systematically investigating the cause of these momentary outages. We have shifted projects, devoted staff, enlisted contractors, and reallocated funds to identify and eliminate these outages.”
Actions taken by Lakefront Utilities to reduce and resolve the momentary outages include:
- utilizing smart meter software to get real-time information on the outages.
- systematically narrowing down the problematic areas in the distribution system using the System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
- identifying specific power lines that experience frequent outages for in-depth investigation.
- replacing aging infrastructure as identified in the Asset Management Plan.
- introducing animal interference protection on the overhead distribution system.
- aggressively clearing trees and vegetation away from the power lines through the Vegetation Management Program.
- investigating and adopting new technologies designed to prevent problems caused by weather, tracking and animal interference.
Through these actions, the utility assures its customers they’re working to resolve and ultimately reduce the number of momentary outages.
Lakefront Utilities apologizes for the recent reliability issues. LUI acknowledges that these outages are increasing in frequency for some of their electric customers and understands that outages, even short ones, are disruptive.
Lakefront Utilities is proud of its ongoing commitment to its community and its achievements as a locally-owned utility. Lakefront Utilities Inc.’s reliability statistics continue to exceed industry standards, as detailed in the 2022 Scorecard. Customers interested in reviewing Lakefront’s performance are encouraged to view Lakefront’s Scorecard, available at https://www.lakefrontutilities.com/financial/. Customers are also encouraged to learn more about Lakefront Utilities’ plans to harden the grid, improve reliability and accommodate growth via LUI’s Distribution System Plan, available at https://www.lakefrontutilities.com/regulatory.