| “The magnitude of the damage to the electricity infrastructure in the gulf states is astounding”, says John Mutton, Chair of Veridian’s Board of Directors. “At last report, almost 1.8 million customers in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi were without power, severely hampering recovery efforts.”
While the immediate priority of the local power authorities is to restore electrical service to customers, there will be a longer term need to re-build damaged electricity distribution and transmission infrastructure. Mississippi Power alone has estimated that about 70 percent of its 13,000 kilometers of transmission and distribution lines will need to be repaired or replaced.
According to Veridian Vice Chair Maurice Brenner, “It was less than one year ago that Veridian crews stepped forward to help Florida Light and Power recover from Hurricane Jeanne. Our staff is experienced in dealing with these types of extraordinary circumstances, and we are anxious to help out.”
Veridian’s offer of assistance represents about 30% of its normal line staff complement and will not affect local service. However, the completion of some non-critical capital projects may be delayed.
Through its subsidiary Veridian Connections Inc., Veridian Corporation is responsible for distributing electricity to more than 95,000 customers in the Cities of Pickering and Belleville, the Towns of Ajax and Port Hope, and the communities of Uxbridge, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Orono, Port Perry, Beaverton, Sunderland and Cannington. The Corporation also owns Veridian Energy Inc., a Pickering, Ontario based company that provides business-to-business and fibre optic communications services.
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For Information Contact:
George Armstrong
Manager of Regulatory Affairs and Key Projects
Veridian Corporation
Ph: 905-427-9870, extension 2202 |
