Eaton Canada Blackout Tracker Annual Report 2011

© 2012 Eaton Corporation. All rights reserved.

Blackout Tracker Annual Report 2011Canada

2© 2012 Eaton Corporation. All rights reserved.

The Blackout Tracker


About the Blackout Tracker

• This is a summary of the information presented in the Blackout Tracker Annual Report (available online as a PDF).

• Eaton Corporation tracks power outages in an effort to educate visitors on their causes and impact. Although we do our best to track this information, we cannot guarantee that every power outage is included

• The Blackout Tracker is based on reported power outages in news services, newspapers, websites, etc. which often give statistics using different terms. For example, some reports may be based on “people” while others may be based on “addresses,” “homes and businesses” or “utility customers.” For purposes of this report all of these are assumed to be and are counted as people.

• Submit your own power outage reports online

http://powerquality.eaton.com/LG/AnnualReportCA.aspx


http://blackouttracker.powerware.com/index-ca.htm



Other power outage trackers

• United States• Australia / New Zealand• United Kingdom

http://blackouttracker.powerware.com/index.htm

http://blackouttracker.powerware.com/indexo.htm

http://blackouttracker.powerware.com/indexUK.htm


Introduction

• This is a summary of the information presented in the Blackout Tracker annual report (available online)

• Power outages affected people in 11 provinces and territories in 2011.

• 1,118,898 million people affected by 177 outages.

• In 2010, 1.66 million people affected by 193 outages, 1.35 million/142 in 2009

http://blackouttracker.powerware.com/index-ca.htm



Introduction

• Two parts to report• National power outage data• Power outage data by province

• Productivity and monetary loss*• Power outage recovery time

• 33+%>day, 10%>week• 48 hours to reconfigure network, data re-entry takes days

or weeks

• 33% of companies lose $20K to $500K**• 20% lose $500K to $2M, 15 percent lose >$2M**

Source : *Price Waterhouse, **US Department of

Energy


Most significant outages for 2011

1. Fierce thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines leaving 140,000 people in Halifax, NS in the dark.

2. A wind storm caused a power outage for 70,000 residents of Vancouver, BC.

3. More stormy weather cut power for 50,000 people in Vancouver, BC.

4. Thunderstorms caused an outage for 50,000 people in Camp Breton, NS.

5. An equipment problem caused 37,000 residents of Richmond, BC to lose power.

6. High winds toppled trees and power lines, cutting power to 37,000 people in Muskoka, ON.


Most unusual outages/causes

1. Copper thieves stole copper wire from a substation causing an outage for 15,000 people in Jonquière, QC.

2. A wayward crow got into a substation caused an outage for 20,000 people in Richmond, BC.

3. An eavestrough was thrown at power lines in Winnepeg, MB causing a transformer to explode and an outage.

4. A goose hit a power line causing an outage for 8,000 people in Sault Ste Marie, ON.

5. An unlucky squirrel in Kitchener, ON, caused an outage for 4,600 area residents.


Top five provinces and territories with the most reported outages

1. Ontario (69)

2. British Columbia (46)

3. Saskatchewan (18)

4. New Brunswick (10)

5. Manitoba (9)

Note: Ontario ranked #1 for 2009 and 2010. British Columbia ranked #2 for each of these years.


Overview of national power outage data

• 1,118,898 = Total number of people affected by outages

• 132 hours (nearly 5.5 days) = Total duration of outages

• 177 = Total number of outages• 9,815 = Average number of people affected

per outage• 188 minutes = Average duration of each

outage


Reported power outages by cause (national data)


Reported power outages by duration (national data)


Reported power outages by month


Reported power outages by region


Pros and cons of underground power lines

• 32% of reported outages caused by weather and 6% caused by vehicle accidents

• Why aren’t all power lines buried?• Reasons*

• Cost - $1 Million/mile (10x above ground cost)• Cost of transmission lines - $5 million/mile (10x

above ground cost)• Underground lines cost more and take longer to

repair• Underground lines are susceptible to flooding

* USA data, source: Entergy

Corporation


Power outages by province

• Four parts• Outage summary• Outage fact• Chart of power outages by cause• Chart of power outages by month


AlbertaOutage summary

Reported power outages by cause

Total number of people affected by outages 3,960Total duration of outages 360 minutes (6 hours)Total number of outages 7Average number of people affected per outage 1,320Average duration of outage 180 minutes (3 hours)


AlbertaReported power outages by month


British ColumbiaOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 389,994Total duration of outages 3,120 minutes (over 2 days)Total number of outages 46Average number of people affected per outage 12,581Average duration of outage 240 minutes (4 hours)


British ColumbiaReported power outages by month


ManitobaOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 15,155Total duration of outages 300 minutes (5 hours)Total number of outages 9Average number of people affected per outage 2,165Average duration of outage 300 minutes (5 hours)


ManitobaReported power outages by month


New BrunswickOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 40,688Total duration of outages 270 minutes (4.5 hours)Total number of outages 10Average number of people affected per outage 5,086Average duration of outage 135 minutes (over 2 hours)


New BrunswickReported power outages by month


Nova ScotiaOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 91,836Total duration of outages 60 minutes (1 hour)Total number of outages 8Average number of people affected per outage 11,480Average duration of outage 60 minutes (1 hour)


Nova ScotiaReported power outages by month


OntarioOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 472,265Total duration of outages 2,635 minutes (nearly 44 hours)Total number of outages 69Average number of people affected per outage 11,244Average duration of outage 176 minutes (nearly 3 hours)


OntarioReported power outages by month


QuebecOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 47,000Total duration of outages 210 minutes (3.5 hours)Total number of outages 6Average number of people affected per outage 11,750Average duration of outage 105 minutes (over 1.5 hours)


QuebecReported power outages by month


SaskatchewanOutage summary


Total number of people affected by outages 50,000Total duration of outages 640 minutes (over 10.5 hours)Total number of outages 18Average number of people affected per outage 5,000Average duration of outage 160 minutes (over 2.5 hours)


SaskatchewanReported power outages by month


Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories

• Newfoundland• St. John’s• Two outages: one caused by faulty equipment and

the other caused by high winds

• Prince Edward Island• One outage caused by heavy snow

• Northwest Territories• Yellowknife • One outage caused by a faulty switch


Business

Eaton Canada Blackout Tracker Annual Report 2011