PUC amped up after winning prestigious innovation award

The newly unveiled Sault Smart Grid is now an award-winning project.

The country's first community-wide smart grid project was recognized during this year’s Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) Awards Ceremony in Toronto, where PUC Services Inc. was presented with the prestigious Innovation Excellence Award.

These awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovations within the energy and utility sector, highlighting organizations that demonstrate exceptional performance, leadership and commitment to advancing industry standards.

In November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the Sault to officially cut the ribbon on the $34-million smart grid, which promises to provide annual costs savings for residential customers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the reliability of the city's electrical system. 

"We are thrilled and honoured to receive the Innovation Award from the Electricity Distributors Association," said Robert Brewer, PUC's president and CEO, in a Tuesday news release. "This recognition is a testament to all of our employee's [sic] hard work and relentless pursuit of innovation and dedication to delivering exceptional services to our customers while driving positive change in the industry."

Below is the full press release from PUC:

PUC is proud to announce that it was selected as the winner of the prestigious Innovation Excellence Award at this year’s Electricity Distributors Association (EDA)’s Awards Ceremony in Toronto.

The EDA Awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovations within the energy and utility sector, highlighting organizations that demonstrate exceptional performance, leadership, and commitment to advancing industry standards.

PUC's commitment to innovation and excellence has been exemplified by its groundbreaking Sault Smart Grid (SSG) project, aimed at enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction in the utility industry. The company's innovative approach to tackling challenges and embracing emerging technologies has set new benchmarks for excellence in the sector.

"We are thrilled and honoured to receive the Innovation Award from the Electricity Distributors Association," said Robert Brewer, CEO and President at PUC. "This recognition is a testament to all of our employee's hard work and relentless pursuit of innovation and dedication to delivering exceptional services to our customers while driving positive change in the industry."

The Sault Smart Grid is the first community-wide smart grid system in Canada. SSG has already seen positive results achieving energy savings of 2.7%, increased customer communications regarding outages, and increased reliability for customers. Additionally, the implementation of SSG is leading to an annual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2,804 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This reduction is a significant step towards addressing environmental concerns and contributing to sustainability goals.

The Innovation Award from the EDA reaffirms PUC's position as a leader in the energy and utility sector and underscores its commitment to shaping the future of utilities through innovation and excellence.