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Happy Energy Efficiency Week and Happy 25th Birthday to Our Insulation Rebate Program!

Happy Energy Efficiency Week and Happy 25th Birthday to Our Insulation Rebate Program!

28 09 , 2017

We’re celebrating the 9th annual Energy Efficiency Week from September 25 to October 1 – and there are lots of reasons to celebrate! 25 years ago we started offering rebates on basement and attic insulation through our Wrap Up for Savings Program. Over 14,000 homeowners have been able to top up their insulation with the help of these rebates. In 2017, these participants will collectively save approximately $4.5 million on their electricity bills.

Insulation made cents in 1992 and it’s just as important today. On average home heating accounts for over half of the electricity used in electrically heated homes. Having enough basement and attic insulation can save you hundreds of dollars every year. If your home was built before 2012, there’s a good chance you need more!

The program name may have changed, but it’s not too late to wrap up for savings. Visit TakeChargeNL.ca for more information on Energy Efficiency Week, tips, rebates and a chance to win an energy efficiency loot bag valued at $250 dollars!

 

Launch of the First Osprey NestCam in Newfoundland and Labrador

Launch of the First Osprey NestCam in Newfoundland and Labrador

03 08 , 2017

On May 29, we launched the first Osprey NestCam in the province! Through a live video stream, you can get a bird’s eye view of the osprey nesting on a special platform at the Virginia Waters Substation on Snow’s Lane in St. John’s.

Safety is paramount at Newfoundland Power, so we developed a management plan to reduce potential impacts to migratory birds, while minimizing any operational effects. Relocating nests to specialized platforms provides nesting sites for protected species, while minimizing risks of electrocution, equipment damage, power outages, and even fire if debris falls onto energized power lines.

In 2016, Newfoundland Power was contacted by Ornithologist, Rob Bierregaard from Drexel University in Pennsylvania, who was very interested in tagging several juvenile Newfoundland osprey to track their migratory journey to and from their southern homes on the border of Columbia and Venezuela. One osprey in particular, named Shanawdithit, after the last known living member of the Beothuk people, has been actively migrating each year and has gained quite a following since being tagged.

We discovered Shanawdithit has a partner, but we didn’t have a name for him, so we decided to launch a “Name the Daddy Osprey Competition”, open to students across the island. Aurora Drew Hickey, an 11 year-old Grade 5 student at St. Francis of Assisi in Outer Cove answered the call and named the Daddy Osprey, Beaumount. When we launched the competition, we asked that students submit a name that has a very strong connection to the province, just like Shanawdithit. We agreed with Aurora and felt that the name Beaumont is a very appropriate tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives over 100 years ago.

If you’d like to follow Shanawdithit and Beaumont, you can view the NestCam here. Please be advised that this live feed shows birds in their natural habitat, so events may occur unexpectedly and may not be appropriate for all viewers.

Happy viewing!

EnviroFest 2017 – Celebrating 20 years!

EnviroFest 2017 – Celebrating 20 years!

18 07 , 2017

At Newfoundland Power we’re committed to operating in an environmentally responsible manner while enhancing the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. We take pride in the difference our employees have made in communities across the island through our employee-driven Environmental Commitment Program.

EnviroFest is our annual celebration of the environment and this year we celebrated 20 years of hosting beautification projects across the province. Our employees dig in and play a hands-on role in the projects by volunteering, working right alongside our community partners.

We once again invited municipalities and community groups to submit proposals early in March and the great projects highlighted below were completed in June.

Carmanville: Approximately 20 volunteers, including MHA Derrick Bragg, were on hand to construct 10 planter boxes located at the town council office and another was constructed for the senior’s home in the community.

St. Mark’s School – King’s Cove: We had another great turnout from the community, employees and Minister Eddie Joyce and MHA Neil King dropped by. Employees and volunteers created an outdoor classroom and cleaned up around the school to make way for planter boxes that were filled with vegetable plants and flowers.

Tom McCormick Memorial Park – Bristol’s Hope: Approximately 40 employee volunteers and residents, along with Minister Steve Crocker, were on hand to lay over 4,000 square feet of sods in under one hour and planted trees/shrubs and flowers.

Steady Brook: We worked with the Corner Brook Stream Trail Association to plant trees and shrubs at the beginning of the trail in Steady Brook that will eventually connect with the trail in Corner Brook. Our partnership with the Corner Brook Stream Trail Association has spanned almost 15 years and it was great to work them again.

Season’s Greetings from our Family to Yours!

22 12 , 2016

The holidays are a time for us to give back to those who are close to us as well as those in need.

Our employees have been busy this season in support of many different community initiatives: We collected over 16,000 pounds of food for the Community Food Sharing Association; served breakfast to the hardworking staff at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital; stocked gifts bags for the Gathering Place; decorated cancer centres in St. John’s and Gander for the holiday season; helped children keep warm for another year through our commitment to the Coats for Kids program; and, donated many units of blood to help save lives as part of our ongoing partnership with Canadian Blood Services.

Through the generosity of our customers and employees, we have been able to help make a difference in the fight against cancer. Through our corporate charity, The Power of Life Project, we have donated much-needed equipment in support of cancer treatment and comfort, filled a toy box full of joy for children, and shared in the celebration of hope through the Let Hope Ring program.

As we embark upon another holiday, please put safety first – whether you’re cutting a Christmas tree, stringing up lights or gathering around a fire, remember a safe holiday season is a happy one. For more holiday safety information please visit http://www.newfoundlandpower.com/electricalsafety/athome/holiday.aspx

From all of us at Newfoundland Power, have a safe and happy holiday!

Fortis Inc. Enters the New York Stock Exchange

18 10 , 2016

fts-nyse-photo

We’ll there’s one thing for sure, and that’s IT ALL STARTED HERE! Newfoundland Power has been serving electricity customers on the island of Newfoundland for nearly 130 years. Throughout that time we’ve remained focused on responding to our customers and continually improving operations. As Fortis grows in leaps and bounds, it continues to focus on these pillars of success.

On October 14, Fortis finalized its largest utility acquisition to date, adding the Michigan-based ITC Holdings to their line-up of subsidiaries. The $11.3 billion acquisition means that Fortis now has approximately 60% of its assets in the United States.

Today at approximately 11 a.m. NST, Fortis, joined by members of its subsidiary companies, will mark the official joining of the NYSE by ringing the opening bell on Wall Street. Fortis will trade under the ticker symbol “FTS” and will retain its listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange also under the symbol “FTS”.

Congratulations Fortis!