It has been one year since the September tornados swept through Ottawa-Gatineau region causing extensive damage and a city wide blackout. At the peak of the outages, over 171,000 Hydro Ottawa customers were without power. In this episode, a power-line maintainer, a control room operator, and a social media communicator join us to chat about the roles they played during the storm and how their teams maintained their composure - with the help of friendly onlookers and volunteers - while working hard to get the city running again.

Ever wonder what it’s like to be the CEO of a huge energy company? In today’s episode, get to know Hydro Ottawa's CEO, Bryce Conrad, as he shares his story, including his career, what it’s like to be a leader, and the positive and challenging sides of being a CEO. Tune in to hear his perspective on how Hydro Ottawa has overcome crisis situations, what is being done to constantly improve, and his vision for the company.

Have a question for Bryce? Contact him by email at [email protected]

Links:

• https://hydroottawa.com/
• https://hydroottawa.com/about/our-company/electric-vehicles
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teamwork-best-emergency-preparedness-measure-bryce-conrad/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leaders-dont-need-titles-just-purpose-bryce-conrad/
• https://static.hydroottawa.com/documents/publications/annual-report/2018-Annual-Report-EN.pdf

Have you ever asked your kids what they did at school today and didn’t receive the answer you were hoping for? In today’s episode, Executive Director of Relay Education, Wesley Normington discusses how he and his company are empowering youth to become future green leaders through hands-on STEM workshops about renewable energy. Relay strives to make education fun for kids and create memorable experiences in the classroom that can be shared with parents. Tune in for all the details!

Connect with Wesley through the Relay website at [email protected]

Links:

• https://www.relayeducation.com/
• https://twitter.com/relayeducation?lang=en
• https://www.instagram.com/relayeducation/
• https://www.facebook.com/RelayEducation/
• https://hydroottawa.com/community/educational-resources/in-school-presentations

Many believe that LED lights are a new invention, but in fact, these sustainable light fixtures have been around for a long time. In today’s episode, guest Rob Kent provides an insightful view into the science behind this unique invention and the various benefits associated with them. If you are a municipality who has been considering switching over to LED lights or you are interested in learning more about LED’s in general, today’s episode is for you! Tune in for all the details and why you should switch to using LED lights today!

Want more information? Contact Rob at [email protected]

Links:

• https://envari.com/
• https://envari.com/streetlighting/
• https://hydroottawa.com/about/our-company/our-history
• https://hydroottawa.com/save-energy/residential/tips-tools/lighting

Can energy producers design facilities that have minimal impact on the environment, wildlife, and the natural migration of the American eel? Tune in to today’s episode to find out! Guest Franz Kropp joins Dan to discuss the many aspects of the endangered American Eel species and how Portage Power is using new innovative technology to ensure their safety during migration.

Have a follow up question? Contact Franz by email at [email protected]

Links:

• http://portagepower.com/species-revival-saving-the-american-eel/
• http://portagepower.com/
• http://chaudierefalls.com/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-d1PJDMa4
• http://blog.cwf-fcf.org/index.php/en/cwf-energy-ottawa-help-the-eels/

Drones, what were once featured in science fiction, are now being used to capture outstanding footage for both communicational and operational purposes. In today’s episode, guest Jake Hanna dives into the many benefits that drones are providing to the energy sector such as showcasing natural disasters and scale of work being done. Tune in for more information on this emerging technology.

Links:

https://twitter.com/hydroottawa/status/1043583024166780928?lang=en

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJvaQtGVLh0

With companies such as Starbucks and Amazon setting the tone for the digital content future, the utility sector must follow suite in fulfilling customer demands. In today’s episode, Jill Bryan discusses the various approaches that she and her company are taking to effectively communicate with their customers in order to engage, educate, and inspire action. Tune in for more information on how energy companies are tailoring their content towards customers’ needs and building lasting relationships.

Links:

• https://www.questline.com/benchmarks/
• https://www.questline.com/theq/charging-forward-with-electric-vehicles/
• https://www.questline.com/theq/outagestrategy/
• https://www.questline.com/theq/solarjourney/
• https://hydroottawa.com/save-energy/residential/tips-tools

Technology is constantly evolving, and while this is very exciting, the challenging part is trying to keep up to date with the latest innovations. In today’s episode of ThinkEnergy, David Ricottone discusses how smart speaker technology and ambient computing is changing how customers are interacting with businesses. Whether it’s Google Home, or your car radio, today’s episode will provide with a more insightful view on the future of voice technology.

Links:

• https://hydroottawa.com/save-energy/innovation/smart-audio
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hey-google-open-hydro-ottawa-david-ricottone-csm/

Across Canada, utilities are grappling with aging infrastructure, including underground cable. In this episode of ThinkEnergy, Envari’s Jim Pegg shares how a cutting-edge testing method quickly evaluates the health of underground cable to predict failures. Armed with this information, utilities can develop asset management plans that reduce power outages.

Links:

• https://envari.com/
• https://envari.com/cable-testing#non-destructive-testing
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H3X0r42AKc

Momentum is picking up for electric vehicle adoption as Canadians are looking for more ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Electric vehicle (EV) expert, Christopher Ralph, joins us to discuss the latest on EV technology and charging availability. If you have been considering an electric vehicle, but not you're sure if the time is right, tune in to gain some valuable insight.

Links:

• https://envari.com/electric-vehicle-infrastructure/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/operating-electric-vehicle-fleet-cheaper-than-christopher-ralph/