Increased air conditioning use likely to blame for hydro outage in Ottawa's west end, utility says
Residents turning up the air conditioners on the hottest June 1 in Ottawa history likely caused hydro systems to overload, knocking out power to customers in the west end, Hydro Ottawa says.
Thousands of residents and businesses spent several hours in the dark and without air conditioning as the temperature hit 35 C Thursday evening.
Hydro Ottawa reported 8,500 customers in Kanata South, Kanata North, Stittsville and West Carleton-March lost power just before 6 p.m. Thursday.
Hydro was fully restored to all customers overnight.
The utility says the outage was due to some stations in the area becoming overloaded.
"We can speculate at the moment due to increased AC use yesterday," Hydro Ottawa said on Twitter Friday morning.
Hydro Ottawa said Thursday night that the outage was "likely due to the heat and AC being on."
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa on Friday, Hydro Ottawa says strain on the system can cause power outages.
"While Hydro Ottawa’s distribution system is built with sufficient capacity to accommodate summer peak loads, sometimes strain on the system can happen as a result of a sudden increased demand, resulting in outages," the utility said. "While this weather makes our system work harder, we are not experiencing any problems related to the peak demand."
The temperature hit 35.1 C in Ottawa on Thursday, the warmest temperature recorded in Ottawa on June 1.
A heat warning remains in effect for the city of Ottawa, with relief from the warm temperatures not expected until the weekend.
Hydro Ottawa offers the following tips to reduce demand on the system:
- Setting air conditioners to 26 C or higher, or use fans as an alternative
- Turning off unnecessary lights and appliances
- Closing curtains and blinds to keep out the sun and retain cooler air inside
- Delaying the use of dishwashers, washers, dryers and pool pumps until after 8:00 p.m.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Thousands are expected to rally on Washington's National Mall in support of Palestinian rights
Thousands of protesters are expected to turn out for a rally in the American capital Saturday in support of Palestinian rights and an immediate end to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Hundreds walk backwards in downtown Montreal to symbolize the decline of LGBTQ2S+ rights
On Friday, hundreds gathered and walked backwards in the heart of Montreal to honour the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Jesus is their saviour, Trump is their candidate. Ex-president's backers say he shares faith, values
As Donald Trump increasingly infuses his campaign with Christian trappings while coasting to a third Republican presidential nomination, his support is as strong as ever among evangelicals and other conservative Christians.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.