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  Facing sky-high connection fees, rural Ontarians go off the grid | CBC
  News Loaded
  [29]Toronto

Facing sky-high connection fees, rural Ontarians go off the grid

  When Craig Timmermans set out to build a new headquarters for his
  companies in northern Ontario, he reached out to the power company to
  find out how much it would charge him to connect to the grid. He was
  shocked to find out it would cost $80,000.

Social Sharing

New connections to provincial power grid can cost tens of thousands of
dollars

  [30]John Lancaster · CBC News · Posted: Oct 26, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last
  Updated: October 26
  Craig Timmermans took his radio and internet businesses in northern
  Ontario off the grid after being told it could cost up to $80,000 to
  connect their new headquarters to the power company. (Bienvenu
  Senga/Radio-Canada)
  (BUTTON)
  comments

  When Craig Timmermans set out to build a new headquarters for his
  companies in northern Ontario, he reached out to the power company to
  find out how much it would charge him to connect to the grid.

  He says he expected to pay a few thousand dollars, given that the
  nearest pole was across the street, about 45 metres away. He was
  shocked to find out it would cost $80,000.

  "I thought that was just totally outrageous," Timmermans told CBC News.

  Hydro One, which distributes electricity for most rural customers in
  the province, eventually reduced the cost to $25,000. It was still too
  much, according to Timmermans.

  "And then on top of that, to pay, you know, an electric bill, probably
  at around four to five hundred dollars a month for the rest of my life
  and only increasing. I thought, well, now's the time to go off-grid."

  Last summer, Timmermans's two radio stations: Great Lakes Country 103.1
  and Hits 100.7 went live from their new home — in Little Current, Ont.,
  about 90 kilometres southwest of Sudbury — the first off-grid stations
  in Canada.
  Timmermans checks the temperature on the bank of lithium batteries that
  stores the solar and wind energy he generates. (Bienvenu
  Senga/Radio-Canada)

  They, along with the internet service provider Timmermans also owns,
  are powered by 24 solar panels and a wind turbine.

  Combined, the system produces eight kilowatt hours — more than enough
  to run his offices, radio studios, the central air conditioning and the
  servers that keep his internet customers connected year 'round, he
  says.

  It cost him $23,000.

  "But on top of that, we have no more [power] bills after that,"
  Timmermans said.

  In winter, he says he needs a propane furnace to heat the building.

  A separate wind-and-solar array mostly powers the stations'
  transmitters, which belt out 77,500 watts of radio signal as far south
  as the Bruce Peninsula. The rest comes from the traditional power grid,
  but not for long, Timmermans hopes.
  The transmitters that belt out Timmerman's radio signals are also now
  primarily powered by solar and wind. (Bienvenu Senga/CBC)

  Powering the transmitters used to cost a small fortune: $6,000 a month,
  he says.

  "Our current rate is about $1,500," he told CBC News.

  "With more solar panels that we're installing currently, I hope to
  bring that bill down closer to zero and we'll basically use Hydro One
  as a backup. And so what that basically means is savings of $6,000.
  That's another employee that we're going to hire."

  Timmermans is one of a number of rural Ontarians who, put off by high
  connection costs, have left the grid in favour of renewable energies.

  "The cost of solar and battery storage systems have both decreased by
  approximately 90 per cent since 2010," said Nicholas Gall of the
  Canadian Renewable Energy Association.

  "Today a solar and battery storage system that would enable a homeowner
  to be entirely self-sufficient could be obtained for as little as
  $50,000, fully installed."
  Veteran Chris Hartwell, 49, stands on the concrete foundation that will
  support his new home near Minden, Ont. The house will be powered by
  solar panels and heated by propane. (Sue Goodspeed/CBC)

  Gall says there are no statistics on how many Canadians are going off
  grid, but says it's easier than ever.

  "In addition to avoiding rising utility costs, going off-grid can be an
  appealing option for homeowners seeking to reduce their environmental
  footprint, and to provide greater resiliency from blackouts caused by
  extreme weather events, which are likely to increase as a result of
  climate change."

  But there are benefits to being on the grid, says Teresa Sarkesion,
  president and CEO of Ontario's Electrical Distribution Association.

  "Reliability is a top priority for Ontario's electricity customers and
  that is a key benefit of being connected to the grid in addition to
  peace of mind and value for money," she said in a statement.

  Chris Hartwell also pulled the plug after learning a connection for his
  new home near Minden — a town 193 kilometres northeast of Toronto, in
  Ontario's cottage country — would cost at least $80,000.

  "They kind of gave me no other option but to go off-grid," said the
  49-year-old veteran.

  The provincial regulator requires customers who buy properties not
  hooked up to the electricity system to pay the cost of connecting,
  according to a spokesperson for Hydro One.
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  The company serves about 1.5 million mostly rural customers, and adds
  about 18,000 customer connections per year, according to a
  spokesperson.

  Hartwell's property is on a 2.5-kilometre stretch of road where there's
  a gap in the power lines. The nearest pole to connect to is about one
  kilometre away.

  [32]CBC News previously reported on his neighbour, Allan Robinson, who
  also lives within that gap. Connecting his newly built home would have
  cost $60,000.

  Hartwell is instead putting in a solar system for $42,500 that is
  expected to fully electrify his home. A propane furnace will provide
  heat.

  "I have no use for Hydro. I have no use for the bills anymore," he
  said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  [33]John Lancaster

  Senior Reporter, CBC Toronto

  John Lancaster is a senior reporter with CBC News focusing on
  investigative and enterprise journalism. His stories have taken him
  across Canada, the US and the Caribbean. His reports have appeared on
  CBC Toronto, The National, CBC's Marketplace, The Fifth Estate-and of
  course CBC online and radio. Drop him a line anytime at
  [email protected].

  [34]CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|[35]About CBC News
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