After more than a year of gathering community input, conducting industry research and performing in-depth financial analysis, the City of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has announced it will begin merger negotiations between Guelph Hydro Electric Systems and Alectra Inc.
For Guelph Hydro customers, a merger with Alectra would help keep downward pressure on rates, an increased focus on innovation, and continued operations in the city of Guelph that includes the same reliable service and dependable local crews responding to local calls.
Guelph Hydro would become part of a municipally owned utility that is investing in emerging technologies that will benefit customers and help attract new business to Guelph. As part shareholder of a larger municipally owned utility, the City of Guelph is expected to receive larger annual dividends, which will be re-invested in the community.
As the first electric utility in Southwestern Ontario to merge with Alectra, Guelph stands to benefit from local employment opportunities, including a Southwest Ontario Operations Hub at the site of Guelph Hydro’s current headquarters and a new Green Energy & Technology Centre, allowing for the development of innovative technologies and green energy solutions here in Guelph.
Public consultation has been a cornerstone of this initiative since it launched one year ago, and citizen-selected decision-making criteria helped inform Guelph City Council’s decisions thus far. Guelph Hydro customers can learn more and have their say at one of several opportunities for public input, to be announced in the coming weeks. Community members can also visit www.energizingtomorrow.ca for more information and to submit questions and comments about the merger.
Following the next phase of community consultation, Guelph City Council will vote on the merger at a public meeting scheduled on Dec. 13, 2017.
- Guelph Hydro is a medium-sized local distribution company delivering electricity in a safe and reliable manner to more than 55,000 customers in Guelph and Rockwood, Ontario.
- Guelph is a growing, diverse and vibrant community of more than 120,000 people, located about 100 kilometres west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Guelph City Council has the authority to make the final decision about the ownership of Guelph Hydro.
- Alectra’s family of energy companies distributes electricity to nearly one million customers in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe Area and provides innovative energy solutions to these and thousands more across Ontario. The Alectra family of companies includes Alectra Inc., Alectra Utilities Corporation and Alectra Energy Solutions.
