Envari, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, designs and implements custom energy solutions for customers.Supplied
As part of its bold commitment to achieve net-zero operations by 2030, Hydro Ottawa has been steadily electrifying its fleet, beginning with light-duty vehicles.
“The transition from diesel to electric vehicles is a rather tall challenge, but employees got on board and we hit the ground running, looking at all aspects of how we meet that goal,” says Dale Williams, manager, fleet and facilities. “Ottawa winters and battery life have certainly added complications, although we’ve come leaps and bounds as far as electrifying our fleet.”
Hydro Ottawa currently has close to 30 light-duty electric vehicles, 16 medium-duty, fully electric trucks and nine heavy-duty trucks equipped with hybrid powertrains in its fleet. However, the change to fully electric heavy-duty vehicles is a work in progress. Williams says they are piloting new electric and hybrid technologies, including exploring electric bucket trucks, although the technology is still in development to work well in cold weather.
To support the transition, the utility provides employees with up-to-date information and hands-on experience with the new vehicle technologies. Employee feedback is critical to ensure any new vehicles meet operational needs in the field.
“We’re using our current vehicles until their end of life and replacing them with greener options as we go, with a long-term plan to continue to do so,” says Williams. “It’s a responsible and planned approach rather than immediately replacing everything.”
Sustainability is a core part of Hydro Ottawa’s identity and operations. The utility, wholly owned by the City of Ottawa, delivers electricity to more than 364,000 customers in the city of Ottawa and the village of Casselman.
“Sustainability is not just a policy, it’s not just a project – it’s a core value that drives our actions as a sustainable employer and partner,” says Shannon Nicholson, director of health, safety and environment. “We have three areas across the organization where we’re focused – carbon emission reduction, greening our procurement and supply chain, and employee engagement and culture.”
In terms of greening the procurement and supply chain, Hydro Ottawa has an eight-point plan with specific metrics, such as how many suppliers are located within 100 kilometres to help ensure sustainability is embedded throughout the utility’s operations.
Integrating climate change considerations into infrastructure planning, such as substation design, is another part of its sustainability efforts. Steve Hawthorne, director of distribution program delivery, is specifically focused on trying to incorporate low carbon techniques into substation design, construction and eventual operations.
“Adapting infrastructure for climate change is extremely important, given the increasing frequency of major weather events in the region,” says Hawthorne.
“This includes considerations around the land use and placement of substations, such as creating pollinator meadows around a new substation to thoughtfully integrate the facilities into the surrounding environment.”
Engaging employees to prioritize sustainability is another focus area. Hydro Ottawa offers EV charging stations for employees, premium parking for employees with electric vehicles and those who carpool, and covered bicycle parking to encourage sustainable commuting.
Looking ahead, Nicholson says the utility plans to raise awareness with new programs to incentivize behaviours and encourage staff to further understand sustainability as part of their job.
“Employees care deeply about Hydro Ottawa’s sustainability efforts,” says Nicholson. “Plus, many job candidates are attracted to our commitment to green initiatives. They want to contribute to a greater purpose as part of their day-to-day work.”
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Advertising feature produced by Canada’s Top 100 Employers, a division of Mediacorp Canada Inc. The Globe and Mail’s editorial department was not involved.