E.L.K. Energy is making investments to improve electrical reliability in Essex and Harrow.
E.L.K has announced a major advancement towards modernizing its distribution system, and also enhancing electrical reliability for customers.
They have announced investments in smart switch technology.
The procurement of Smart Switches will bring the power of automation to the electrical system, and can provide automatic restoration and load transfer to improve system reliability and safety.
The first of the switches is slated to be installed in the spring of 2024, due to lengthy lead times for delivery.
Sherry Bondy, Essex mayor and Chair of the E.L.K. Board of Directors, says the change is a switch in power, like a duel-feed where supply from the switches is able to automatically transfer load between lines.
"In Essex they'll say there's the good half of town and the bad half of town, and it's really weird because sometimes you'll be driving downtown and you'll see half of the town out, and half of the town on. And so we will no long see that once these switches are in place. It'll be more of a seamless power supply in our area."
She says other local areas are in need of improvements.
"And then we need to also look at Belle River, and Kingsville, and Cottam, and see how else we can bring improvements to that area. So, we've got a big plan, an ambitious plan, and we're taking steps to put the plan in place."
Bondy says residents will automatically notice a difference.
"And with some of the other things we're doing, you know, we're taking a more aggressive procedure on tree trimming, we're replacing more poles. It's going to take a while. We know and so we are asking for patience because we know these improvements, even ordering them, there's a length to get them due to supply chains."
E.L.K. Energy is a Local Distribution Company that services the communities of Belle River, Comber, Cottam, Essex, Harrow and Kingsville.
They deliver electricity to 12,600 customers from the residential, commercial and industrial sectors.
E.L.K. Energy is wholly-owned by the Corporation of the Town of Essex.
-with files from AM800's Rob Hindi