PowerStream Crews in Michigan Assisting in Power Restoration

VAUGHAN, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - July 7, 2012) - PowerStream sent four three-man crews in four bucket trucks and three pick-up trucks to Michigan early Saturday morning to assist Flint-based Consumers Energy in restoring power to thousands of customers who have been without electricity since Thursday when a series of severe thunderstorms swept across the state.

Although power has been restored to some Consumers Energy customers, a significant number of the more than 111,000 affected, mostly in central and eastern Michigan, are still without service.

The PowerStream contingent will be providing assistance over the next week and have joined more than 500 linemen from Consumers Energy and several other Michigan as well as out of state utilities to restore power safely and as quickly as possible.

CORE NEWS

• PowerStream has reciprocal agreements in place with other Ontario utilities to provide assistance during significant power outages.

QUOTES

• "As one of Ontario's largest municipally-owned electricity distribution companies, we recognize the importance of being there to assist other utilities when these types of unfortunate events occur," explained Frank Scarpitti, PowerStream Board Chair and Mayor of the City of Markham. "Even without reciprocal agreements in place, as an industry leader and a socially responsible company, we have an obligation to assist others in their time of need."
  
  
• "I am proud of our staff's quick response to this request for assistance," said Brian Bentz, PowerStream's President and CEO. "It's not easy to work under such difficult and unfamiliar conditions but they recognize the urgency of the situation and the need to be of assistance, especially given the number of people affected."

ABOUT POWERSTREAM

PowerStream is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to approximately 340,000 customers residing or owning a business in communities located immediately north of Toronto and in Central Ontario, including Alliston, Aurora, Barrie, Beeton, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Markham, Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill, Thornton, Tottenham and Vaughan. It is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the municipalities of Barrie, Markham and Vaughan.

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