SARNIA, Ontario, November 19, 2009 – In accordance with provincial regulations Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation has filed its 2010 Distribution Rate Application with the Ontario Energy Board.  This application will have no effect on the price of electricity, which is currently 5.8 cents per kilowatt-hour (“kWh”) for the first 1,000 kilowatt-hours consumed per month and 6.7 cents per kWh for consumption greater than 1,000 kWh per month for residential customers on the Regulated Price Plan (“RPP”).  The Ontario Energy Board sets the price of electricity under the RPP, which is the price paid by the majority of Bluewater Power residential customers.

The changes related to the Bluewater Power rate application, if approved, will apply to the “Delivery Charges” item on all customers’ bills and will be effective May 1, 2010.  Delivery charges include the monthly fixed service charge, the variable distribution charge and the cost paid by Bluewater Power for the transmission of electricity from the generator to the Bluewater Power distribution territory.

A residential customer consuming 800kWh of electricity per month would experience an approximate 1.4% increase on the Delivery Charges or a $0.54 per month increase on the total bill.

 A general service customer consuming 2,000 kWh of electricity per month and having a monthly demand of 50 kW or lower would experience an approximate 2.2% decrease in Delivery Charges or a $1.76 per month decrease on the total bill. 

“We are pleased to note that the amount that Bluewater Power’s residential customers will pay on their total bill in May of 2010 is 2% less than they paid in 2006. All of our employees work together to control our costs of serving customers, and we are proud that our residential customers will only experience moderate increases in 2010, while some rate categories should expect to enjoy decreases in what they pay”  said Bluewater Power’s President & Chief Executive Officer Janice McMichael-Dennis.

SARNIA, Ontario, September 24, 2009 – The Ontario Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure today announced the launch of the Feed-In Tariff (“FIT”) Program, designed to promote renewable energy development in Ontario.  The FIT Program is intended to stimulate growth in the green energy sector thereby creating green jobs and providing clean renewable power to Ontario.

Feed-in tariffs refer to the specific prices paid to renewable energy suppliers for the electricity they generate.  There are two components to the program:  FIT applies to renewable generation projects that generate over 10 kilowatts of electricity; and the MicroFit Program for renewable generation projects that generate 10 kilowatts or less.  The intent of the MicroFit Program is to encourage the development of micro-scale renewable energy projects such as residential solar photovoltaic installations and small wind power facilities.

“The Feed-In Tariff Program provides an excellent opportunity for the development of all sizes of renewable energy generation projects.  FIT allows all types of generators, from homeowners to large developers, to participate in green energy generation.” said Tim Vanderheide, Bluewater Power Generation’s chief operations officer.

The Ontario Power Authority (“OPA”) is responsible for the assessment of FIT and MicroFIT project applications and contract management.  Bluewater Power is responsible for connecting the generation facility to its distribution system once the project has received the required approvals from the OPA.

More information on the Feed-In Tariff Programs is available at www.powerauthority.on.ca   

Save Money With The Power Savings Blitz! - Sarnia, Ontario, July 21, 2009

Bluewater Power announces its latest Conservation Program for small commercial customers with an average demand of less than 50Kw.  Eligible businesses can receive up to $1,000.00 in free energy efficient retrofits with the Power Savings Blitz Program.  Products that qualify for the replacement funding include incandescent light bulbs, fluorescent tube with magnetic ballasts (T-12), and incandescent exit signs. As well, electric water heaters qualify for tank insulation jackets, water aerators, and insulated pipe wrap.
David Mackay, Bluewater Power’s Conservation Coordinator states “by implementing these quick and easy lighting improvements, small commercial customers will benefit from becoming more energy efficient and by lowering electricity costs.”

The Power Savings Blitz requires no out of pocket expense by the customer and all work will be performed by a licensed electrical contractor that has been selected to participate in the program.  By participating in the PSB, customers will benefit both personally by lowering electricity costs, and provincially by helping to achieve large scale conservation efforts in lowering overall electrical demand.    

Rate Increase - April 27, 2009

Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation has received approval of its 2009 Distribution Rate Application from the Ontario Energy Board (the “OEB”). The application was filed in September of 2008 and, following a rigorous review process, the OEB approved of a settlement proposal reached between the parties that permits Bluewater Power to recover its cost of doing business in an effective manner and satisfies the consumer groups who intervened on the application.

The changes approved by the OEB relate to the “Delivery Charges” item on all customers’ bills and will be effective May 1, 2009.  Delivery charges include the monthly fixed service charge, the variable distribution charge and the cost paid by Bluewater Power for the transmission of electricity from the generator to the Bluewater Power distribution territory. The “Delivery” line represents approximately one-third of the total bill.

A residential customer consuming 1,000 kWh of electricity per month will see a $6.34 increase on the ‘Delivery’ line of the 2009 monthly electricity bill when compared to the current monthly bill before taxes.  This change combined with other minor changes not including the change to cost of power, amounts to an overall total monthly bill increase of 5.4%.

 A general service customer consuming 2,000 kWh of electricity per month will see an $8.10 increase on the ‘Delivery’ line of the 2009 monthly electricity bill when compared to the current monthly bill before taxes.   This change combined with other minor changes not including the change to cost of power, amounts to an overall total bill increase of 3.3%.

The rate application that Bluewater Power submitted represented the first opportunity for Bluewater Power to seek recovery of increased costs of operating its distribution network incurred since 2004. The average increase in the “Delivery” line represents a 17.8% increase, but allows the utility to update its costs from 2004 to 2009 and those standard operating costs will not be updated again until 2013.

“This application was important to the financial strength of Bluewater Power because the costs approved in this application will be required to carry this utility forward through to the year 2013. We are pleased that we were able to manage those costs to enable this utility to carry out its commitment to customers for the next four years without unduly impacting rates. ” said Alex Palimaka, Vice-President & General Counsel

“Although any increase in rates during challenging economic times is less than ideal, we managed our cost increase so that we are able to say that, between May 2006 and May 2009, a typical Bluewater Power residential customer will have experienced an overall decrease of 2.5% or over $3 per month based on a representative consumption of 1,000 kilowatt-hours.” said Bluewater Power’s President & Chief Executive Officer Janice McMichael-Dennis.

Expect Changes to Provincial Electricity Bills After November - October 15, 2008

Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation has been advised that electricity customers who are eligible for Regulated Price Plan (RPP) pricing will soon see changes to the ‘Electricity’ portions of their electricity bills. The Ontario Energy Board announced today the new commodity pricing under the RPP for residential and small commercial customers across the province.

After November 1, 2008, there will be two changes to the way Ontario RPP customers are charged for electricity:

1. The commodity price charged for each of the two consumption tiers was increased:
1. Tier 1 pricing was increased from 5.0 cents per kWh to 5.6 cents per kWh; and
2. Tier 2 pricing was increased from 5.9 cents per kWh to 6.5 cents per kWh.
   
   
2.  The thresholds at which a customer switches from Tier 1 pricing to Tier 2 pricing was increased so that RPP customers are eligible for 1000 kWh per month at Tier 1 pricing for the Winter months (November 1st to April 30th) versus the 600 kWh per month they receive at Tier 1 pricing during the summer months.

What does that mean? Bluewater Power electricity customers who use 1000 kilowatts hours/month will see their monthly electricity bill increase by approximately 2% due to these changes. That increase will amount to an increase of $2.40 per month.  It is important to note however that even with these recently announced rate changes, Bluewater Power customers will still be paying 3% less for their Bluewater Power bills in 2009 than they paid in 2006.

Bluewater Power would like to take this time to remind our community that no customer should sign a contract for the supply of electricity from a retailer without being fully informed. Customers do not need to sign a long term electricity contract with anyone.  Customers who do not sign a contract will continue to buy their electricity from Bluewater Power at the RPP prices, without mark-up to the distributor.  Information is available on-line at “www.oeb.gov.on.ca”.

Bluewater Power has received complaints recently about aggressive sales tactics being employed by electricity retailers, some have even claimed to be Bluewater Power representatives. Bluewater Power does not have any employees soliciting customers to sign long-term contracts to buy electricity. Anyone being contacted by someone offering an electricity contract and claiming to be a Bluewater Power employee should immediately contact the Ontario Energy Board to lodge a complaint at 1-877-632-2727.

SARNIA, Ontario, October 2, 2008 – In accordance with provincial regulations Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation has filed its 2009 Distribution Rate Application with the Ontario Energy Board.  This application will have no effect on the price of electricity, which is currently 5.0 cents per kilowatt-hour (“kWh”) for the first 600 kilowatt-hours consumed per month and 5.9 cents per kWh for consumption greater than 600 kWh per month for residential customers on the Regulated Price Plan (“RPP”).  The Ontario Energy Board sets the price of electricity under the RPP, which is the price paid by the majority of Bluewater Power residential customers.

The changes related to the Bluewater Power rate application, if approved, will apply to the “Delivery Charges” item on all customers’ bills and will be effective May 1, 2009.  Delivery charges include the monthly fixed service charge, the variable distribution charge and the cost paid by Bluewater Power for the transmission of electricity from the generator to the Bluewater Power distribution territory.

A residential customer consuming 1,000 kWh of electricity per month will see a $6.35 or 6% increase on the total 2009 monthly electricity bill when compared to a 2008 monthly bill before taxes.  This increase is comprised primarily of an increase of 19.5% on the ‘Delivery Charges’.

 A general service customer consuming 2,000 kWh of electricity per month will see a 4.7% increase on the total 2009 monthly electricity bill when compared to a 2008 monthly bill.  This increase is comprised primarily of an increase of 16.2% on the ‘Delivery Charges’. 

“We are pleased to note that, between May 2006 and May 2009, a typical Bluewater Power residential customer will have experienced an overall decrease of 8.3% or almost $10.00 per month based on a representative consumption of 1,000 kilowatt-hours.” said Bluewater Power’s President & Chief Executive Officer Janice McMichael-Dennis.

The rate application that Bluewater Power has submitted represents the first opportunity for Bluewater Power to seek recovery of increased and/or extraordinary costs incurred since 2004.

“This application is important to the financial strength of Bluewater Power, and we are pleased that even with the proposed rate increase, our customers will be paying less in 2009 than they were three years ago.   That is a reflection of our commitment to meet the needs of our communities, who are both our customers and our shareholders. “ said Alex Palimaka, Vice-President & General Counsel.

Bluewater Power is pleased to announce the payment of dividends to our Municipal Shareholders.

An annual dividend of $640,000 has been declared by the Corporation. This dividend relates to the successful financial and operating results of the 2007 calendar year.

Bluewater Power is proud to be the local hometown utility and as such is exceptionally pleased to be able to provide these financial returns to our community.

For further details please contact Janice McMichael-Dennis President & Chief Executive Officer of Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation at 519-337-8201 Ext 247

Bluewater Power provides electricity distribution and related services to approximately 35,000 customers in the municipalities of Sarnia, Petrolia, Point Edward, Watford, Alvinston, and Oil Springs. We provide the connection to the provincial electricity grid; we distribute electricity locally through our distribution network; we provide metering services; and we bill our customers for the electricity they consume. The rates we charge for those services are set by the Ontario Energy Board and are designed to cover the costs of electricity distribution operations and to provide a regulated rate of return to the Corporation's shareholders. Electricity distribution costs represent approximately 20% of the total electricity bill paid by consumers; the remaining charges (including the costs of the electricity, transmission and debt retirement charges) are passed through to Bluewater Power customers with no markup.

Bluewater Power has made calculations regarding the drop in electrical consumption during “Earth Hour” held on March 29th between the hours of 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM.

Bluewater Power’s Sarnia/Point Edward Residential and Commercial customers decreased their electrical consumption by 5.75% for Earth Hour.

Bluewater Power’s Sarnia/Point Edward total system load decreased by 3.5%. This includes our large industrial customers. It is very difficult due to safety and plant processes for industrial customers to shut off power for an event like Saturdays. Industrial customers do have a strong commitment and long term ongoing programs targeting conservation by utilizing new technological upgrades to reduce energy consumption.

The early results I have heard for the Province state a 5% reduction. In my opinion Sarnia/Point Edward has once again stood to the challenge much like they have in the past when the Province of Ontario has put out a call for residents to cut back on power consumption when available electrical generation is in short supply.

The calculations are complete for Bluewater Power customers in Petrolia, Watford, Alvinston and Oil Springs. The four municipalities have collectively achieved a 5% reduction of electricity use during “Earth Hour”. This result once again reinforces the excellent commitment Bluewater Power customers show in supporting a conservation culture in Ontario.

I have heard from a number of families who were inspired by their children and grand children to support Earth Hour and in turn thoroughly enjoyed the social camaraderie it created.

Bluewater Power Customers Will Enjoy a Rate Decrease - March 19, 2008

Bluewater Power is pleased to announce a rate decrease for all of its customer classes effective May 1st, 2008. Today the Ontario Energy Board has issued preliminary approval of the company’s application for 2008 electricity distribution rates.

A residential customer consuming 1000 kWh per month will enjoy an approximate 7.8% decrease in their electricity bill, equating to a monthly savings of $9.70. A small general service customer consuming 2000 kWh per month and having a monthly demand of 50 KW or lower will see an approximate 3.9% decrease in their electricity bill, equating to a monthly savings of $9.39.

This decrease in distribution rates relates primarily to the fact that, by April 30, 2008, Bluewater Power will have fully recovered its one-time costs associated with market opening. “The final recovery of our costs related to market opening represents the closing of a chapter on the transition to an open market and allows this organization to look forward to the new challenges and opportunities that face our industry.” said President & CEO, Janice McMichael-Dennis. In addition, minor decreases in select transmission rates also contributed to the overall customer rate decrease.

The above noted changes will have no impact on the commodity price which is governed under the provincial regulated price plan for non-retail customers. This commodity rate is currently set at 5.0 cents per kilowatt-hour (“kWh”) for the first 1000 kWh consumed per month and 5.9 cents per kWh for consumption greater than 1000 kWh per month.

Bluewater Power is pleased to announce an overall rate decrease at this time. We take great pride in our role as a hometown utility committed to customer service and community value.

Expect changes to Bluewater Power electricity bills after November 1st
Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation has been advised that electricity customers who enjoy Regulated Price Plan (RRP) pricing will soon see changes to the ‘Electricity’ portions of their electricity bills. The Ontario Energy Board announced today the new commodity pricing under the RPP for residential and small commercial customers.

After November 1, 2007, there will be two changes to the way RPP customers are charge for electricity:

1. The commodity price charged for each of the two consumption tiers was reduced:
i. Tier 1 pricing was reduced from 5.3 cents per kWh to 5.0 cents per kWh; and
ii. Tier 2 pricing was reduced from 6.2 cents per kWh to 5.9 cents per kWh.
2. The thresholds at which a customer switches from Tier 1 pricing to Tier 2 pricing was increased so that RPP customers are eligible for 1000 kWh per month at Tier 1 pricing for the Winter months (November 1st to April 30th) versus the 600 kWh per month they receive at Tier 1 pricing during the summer months.

What does that mean? Bluewater Power electricity customers who use 1000 kilowatts hours/month will see their monthly electricity bill decrease by 5.77% for the next six months. That decrease will amount to an actual savings of $7.14 per month.

These commodity prices will be passed through to those of our customers who are eligible for RPP pricing, namely residential customers and small commercial consuming less than 250,000 kWh per year. This decrease will not be enjoyed by those customers who have signed with a retailer for the supply of their electricity.

Bluewater Power would like to take this time to remind its customers that no customer should sign a contract for the supply of electricity from a retailer without being fully informed. Customers do not need to sign a long term electricity contract with anyone. Customers who do not sign a contract will continue to buy their electricity from Bluewater Power at the RPP prices, without mark-up to the distributor. Information is available on-line at “www.oeb.gov.on.ca”.

Bluewater Power has received complaints recently about aggressive sales tactics being employed by electricity retailers. Some have claimed to be Bluewater Power representatives. Bluewater Power does not have any employees soliciting customers to sign long-term contracts to buy electricity. Anyone being contacted by someone offering an electricity contract and claiming to be a Bluewater Power employee should immediately contact the Ontario Energy Board to lodge a complaint at 1-877-632-2727.