PowerStream reports 4.5 per cent less electricity used in Vaughan during Earth Hour

Vaughan Weekly
April 1, 2014
By Angela Gismondi

The City of Vaughan joined millions around the world by powering down for Earth Hour Saturday.

This year saw thousands of PowerStream customers show their willingness to help fight climate change by turning off their lights for 60 minutes to reduce electricity consumption.

PowerStream’s System Control Centre reported a service territory-wide 4.8 per cent electricity consumption reduction between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday compared to a typical consumption pattern normally experienced on a similar type of day. The total percentage reduction for the nine municipalities served by the electric utility is slightly down from last year’s results.

The 2014 results represented a total savings of 48.9 megawatts (MW) in peak demand or enough electricity to power 1,480 average-sized homes over a 24-hour period.

Vaughan saw a 4.5 per cent reduction in consumption and a savings of 14.88 MW. In Markham there was a 4.7 per cent reduction, in Richmond Hill saw a five per cent reduction and Aurora saw a 7.7 per cent reduction.

PowerStream also supported Earth Hour in several other ways. In addition to powering down the lights at its four work locations in Vaughan, Markham and Barrie, as well as reporting municipal power consumption reduction totals throughout its service territory during Earth Hour, PowerStream also sponsored the Earth Hour Vaughan Lantern Walk Event as well as Markham Earth Hour at the Cornell Community Centre.

More than 600 people attended the Earth Hour event at Vaughan City Hall. The event, presented by the City of Vaughan, Earth Hour Vaughan and PowerStream, included lantern making and a community lantern walk, an energy conservation exhibit, refreshments, live entertainment and an environmental Jeopardy game for participating Vaughan secondary schools.

An awards ceremony was also held to recognize Vaughan’s Green Heroes, residents who have made contributions to sustainability and conservation in Vaughan. This year’s recipients are Michele Wright, Prati Singh and Odette McIntyre. Youth Green Heroes were also recognized including Marie-Therese Campione,
Elizabeth-Anne Campione, Catherine-Rose Campione and Joseph-Paul Campione.

Earth Hour is held annually on the last Saturday of March and is organized by the World Wildlife Fund. Earth Hour, which began in 2007, is a global sustainability movement that brings attention to the issues of energy conservation and climate change.