YORK REGION & SIMCOE COUNTY, ON – Earth Hour 2009 saw thousands of PowerStream customers, in the nine municipalities served by the electric utility, indicate their willingness to help fight climate change by turning off their lights for 60 minutes to reduce electricity consumption.

PowerStream’s System Control reported a service territory-wide 10 per cent electricity reduction between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday*. The reduction represented a savings of 88.3 megawatts in peak demand, or enough electricity to power 1,471 average-size homes over a 24- hour period.

The reductions achieved per municipality were as follows:
Municipality Per cent Reduction* MW Reduction*
Aurora 8% 4 MW
Barrie 4% 5 MW
Bradford West Gwillimbury 13% 2 MW
Essa (Thornton) 11% 0.3 MW
Markham 7% 17 MW
New Tecumseth 9% 2 MW
Penetanguishene 13% 1 MW
Richmond Hill 27% 43 MW
Vaughan 5% 13 MW
PowerStream Service Territory 10% 88.3 MW
* ( in comparison to a typical consumption pattern normally experienced on a similar type of day, taking into consideration hour of the day, time of year and weather).

PowerStream also supported Earth Hour 2009 in several other ways. In addition to powering down the lights at its four work locations in Barrie, Markham and Vaughan, the company also was the title sponsor of the Barrie Earth Hour Music Festival and provided support for the Woodbridge Lantern Walk as well as an Earth Hour sign up contest at the public libraries in Markham.

“Earth Hour is a symbolic event for residents to show their support to help fight climate change and shed light on how we can all make a big difference by reducing our electricity consumption,” said Brian Bentz, President and CEO of PowerStream. “We are pleased with our customers’ response to this global event.”
About PowerStream Inc.
PowerStream Inc. is the second largest municipally-owned electricity distribution company in Ontario, providing service to more than 315,000 residential and business customers in Aurora, Barrie, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Essa (Thornton) Markham, New Tecumseth (Alliston, Beeton, Tottenham), Penetanguishene, Richmond Hill and Vaughan. It is an incorporated entity, jointly owned by the municipalities of Barrie, Markham and Vaughan.