OEA Announces Leader and Companies of the Year and Releases Study at Annual Conference

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 15, 2011) - The Ontario Energy Association (OEA) has named Janet Holder, former President of Enbridge Gas Distribution, the 2011 OEA Leader of the Year, Guelph Hydro the Large Company of the Year, and Bullfrog Power the Small Company of the Year. The Awards were presented during the OEA Annual Conference on September 15 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Leader of the Year Award honours individuals who have demonstrated exceptional vision, innovation, success, ethics and accountability. The two Company of the Year awards recognize businesses that have excelled in areas such as conservation and energy efficiency, customer service, market strategy and brand reputation. The Small Company of the Year Award is applicable to companies with 100 or fewer employees.

"The winners of the 2011 OEA Achievement Awards exemplify the integrity, the vision, and the vitality of Ontario's energy sector," says OEA President and CEO Elise Herzig. "They understand that true success depends on being responsive to customers, responsible to communities, and respectful of the environment."

Janet Holder's peers describe her as a truly inspiring and uncompromisingly ethical leader, who is committed to pushing her company to new levels of success and to helping maintain and improve the health, well-being and prosperity of the communities in which her company operates.

"I am truly honoured to be recognized by my industry peers with this award because it recognizes both business and philanthropic leadership," says Janet Holder, who was recently named Executive Vice President, Western Access, Enbridge Inc. and currently serves as United Way Toronto's 2011 Campaign Chair. "I am proud to be part of a sector that makes the communities we serve better places to live whether it's through collaboration on important policy initiatives or community giving."

Under the leadership of its President, Tom Heintzman, Bullfrog Power launched the first 100 per cent green natural gas program in 2011. Green natural gas is biomethane that comes from everyday organic waste matter and results in net-zero carbon dioxide emissions.

"We are honoured to receive OEA's Small Company of the Year Award," says Tom Heintzman, President, Bullfrog Power. "We launched our green natural gas choice to give Canadians another way to reduce their environmental impact and take action on climate change. We believe this award is a reflection of the leadership of our customers across Canada who, by choosing green energy, are working together to help create cleaner energy systems in Canada."

A company with a strong commitment to providing cost-effective customer service, supporting the community, and improving the environment, Guelph Hydro has proven itself an industry leader, having incorporated the Global Reporting Initiative into its 2010 Sustainability Report and installed one of the first rooftop solar facilities in Ontario on its head office.

"It is truly an honour to be recognized by our peers in the energy industry for our focus on sustainability," said Barry Chuddy, CEO of Guelph Hydro Inc. "To be a leader in today's utility sector, we believe we must balance environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic success not only to benefit all our stakeholders today, but also to leave a legacy of clean, renewable and sustainable energy in our community for the benefit of future generations."

Also announced at the Annual Conference was the release of a study entitled A Guide for Ontario Energy Policy Makers: Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for Ontario Clean Energy Policy, prepared by the Maryland-based National Regulatory Research Institute. It provides a decision support system to help political leaders and policy makers set and fulfill long-term objectives and prevent those objectives and the public interest from being undermined by short-term considerations.

"Every policy change government makes involves many factors that can affect the entire system, so it is crucial to look at the implications of policy decisions in their totality," says OEA President and CEO Elise Herzig. "That is especially relevant to the energy sector, where the relationship between energy and the economy is so strong. This study is a dynamic decision-making tool for developing integrated, long-term energy policies that address multiple goals and changing circumstances without undermining original policy objectives."

The OEA will share the study with leaders of all three political parties in the period before the election.

The OEA has more than 150 corporate members that represent the full diversity of the energy industry in Ontario – power producers, firms that transport, transmit and deliver natural gas and electricity, marketers and retailers, manufacturers, contractors, service providers, and energy consultants.