It’s no secret that the threat of climate change, as a result of increased carbon emissions, has been a significant issue globally.
In fact, CBC reported last year that Canada was among the world’s highest carbon emitters per-capita, and was the worst among the nine other countries that were also a part of the study.
Even though climate change is a national issue, this doesn’t mean it can’t be addressed at the local level.
One company that is looking to tackle climate change by reducing its carbon footprint—as well as reducing the carbon footprints of its customers—with an assortment of innovative sustainability initiatives is PUC Services Inc (PUC).
PUC Services Inc. is a utility services company that has been operating in Sault Ste. Marie for over a century. The company is owned by the City of Sault Ste. Marie, and provides water, wastewater, and electricity services to its customers in the city and the surrounding area.
Katie Elliott, Manager, Corporate Communications at PUC Services Inc., says that the company opted to create a sustainability strategy because of the valuable feedback they received from their customers, as well as the company’s own values and goals.
“As climate change and energy needs of Ontario continued to evolve, so does how we provide electricity services,” Elliott said. “Customers are aware of this. And, through different means, like surveys and other engagement options, they let us know that reducing their carbon footprint is really important to them. And we listened, because it’s really important to us.”
“Overall, we are committed to lowering our carbon footprint and to supporting members in the communities we serve to do the same thing. So, that’s really our overarching goal. It’s about creating a brighter future. We feel like it is a part of our role to do that as a utility provider for the community.”
Amidst the various projects in the works from the sustainability strategy, Elliott says that PUC is particularly excited about the company’s plan of installing a community-wide smart grid.
The Sault Smart Grid (SSG) is “an integrated system of internet-connected meters, sensors and equipment to utilize two-way communication and data management software processes to automatically control elements of the grid”, according to PUC.
The grid (which is planned to be live and operational by early 2023) will not only lower monthly bills through reduced energy consumption, as well as improve reliability by reducing the impact/duration of power outages, but PUC says it will also “reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 2,804 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually”.
“It will be the first of its kind in Canada, a community-wide smart grid where all of the customers in the whole community will be covered by the grid,” Elliott said. “It’s really exciting for the community, and something that we’re really proud to be a leader on, not just locally or provincially, but nationally as well.”
Another project planned in PUC’s sustainability strategy is the gradual incorporation of electric vehicles to replace their current fleet of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Elliott says that PUC will be taking a phased-in approach for the transition from traditional to electric vehicles, meaning that the electric vehicles will substitute the ICE vehicles when they need replacement.
To coincide with PUC’s transition into electric vehicles, the company is also planning on installing 22 electric vehicle charging stations for their newly incorporated vehicles.
Elliott says that this change of going electric will not only contribute further to the company’s goal of reducing its own carbon footprint, but it may potentially lead to an even bigger impact on the community overall.
“In the near future, we will be rolling out a program that installs and maintains charging stations for our residential customers,” Elliott said. “We’re starting internally with our own electric vehicles and charging stations, and then we’re going to look at how we can support our community members to do the same.”
Other initiatives that PUC Services Inc. has planned to significantly reduce its carbon footprint include:
- A new subsidiary of PUC called “Watertight Lining Solutions Inc.”, which offers a cost-saving method of extending the life of ageing potable water pipes. This alternative to typical pipe replacements reduces the carbon footprint of installed material by up to 75%, according to PUC.
- ”PUC Transmission”, which is a project that will construct new transmission facilities to provide power to Algoma Steel’s new electric arc furnaces. PUC says that the new power supply in the area will lead to improved service and a lower carbon footprint for the community.
- The “Customer Energy Management” (CEMa) program, which utilizes low flat-rate pricing for the duration of an agreed-upon contract term. The program’s first partner, the Sault Area Hospital, is estimated to save an estimated $3 million on its energy bills over the next ten years, according to PUC.
- A paperless initiative, with which the company is planning on becoming completely digital within the next five years. The company is promoting things like e-billing, and the MyPUC App that allows people to track and control their energy use.
PUC Service Inc. has even more projects planned for the future, on top of the aforementioned ones, and Elliott says that she and the company are ecstatic about being able to integrate these sustainable projects soon so that the community the company serves will be able to reap the benefits that the sustainability strategy offers.
“It’s kind of a new chapter for PUC. We see it as a really exciting time for us,” Katie said. “We are adapting to this new environment, and we want to let people know about these innovative projects that we are working on, that will ultimately improve their experiences as customers. We want to help them lower their carbon footprint, and we want to help them save money too.”
For more information about PUC Services Inc. and the variety of utility services they offer, you can check them out at ssmpuc.com.