OFA: Hydro One Announces Farm Rapid Response Team is ready to help (2016)

Today, Hydro One announced the Farm Rapid Response Team is ready to assist farming customers to help identify, assess and mitigate on-farm electrical issues. This approach has been established to better serve the needs of Hydro One's 13,000 farming customers and was developed in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). This streamlined and simplified approach provides Hydro One's farming customers a single point of contact to manage their specific on-farm concerns.

"The creation of the Farm Rapid Response Team shows Hydro One’s commitment to finding a fast and effective solution to on-farm electrical issues our customers may experience," said Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO, Hydro One. “Uncontrolled electricity has plagued rural livestock farms for a very long time. Farmers and the animals they care for deserve our hardest efforts to resolve this issue. This customer-friendly process will improve outcomes for Ontario farmers and provide access to technical experts to help troubleshoot and find solutions.”

“Hydro One has listened to the concerns of its farming customers and has taken action to find a solution, said Glenn Thibeault, Minister of Energy. “Establishing this Farm Rapid Response Team, in partnership with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the farming community, is just one of the ways in which Hydro One is already operating as a better-run company with a renewed commitment to improving customer service and performance.”

“Our government understands that uncontrolled electricity is a concern for livestock owners across the province. I would like to congratulate Hydro One, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and a number of other stakeholders from the agricultural sector for their hard work over the past two years, culminating in today’s launch of The Farm Rapid Response Team,” said Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “I welcome this dedicated team ofspecialists who will provide consistent on-site support for farmers experiencing stray voltage and other on-farm electrical issues which will lead to more efficient delivery of service to the farming community.”‎

“We see the Hydro One Farm Rapid Response Team as bringing a consistent documented process toward solving local uncontrolled electricity problems,” said Don McCabe, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “OFA hopes this leads to further cooperation with other utilities and all levels of government in attaining a satisfactory solution.”

The Farm Rapid Response Team is an outcome of a working group comprised of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Hydro One. The team will:

1. Manage and investigate all stray voltage and related on-farm electrical issues.
2. Do a full technical audit of all testing conducted.
3. Have testing specialists in zones across the province.
4. Conduct larger root cause investigations when needed.
5. Run alternative testing/trouble-shoot on more complex issues and complaints.
6. Collect data centrally for further work/study.

Source: OFA