Growth in Mutual Assistance

When extreme weather or other damaging events occur within a specific service territory, utilities can call on neighbouring utilities to assist in the restoration process called ‘mutual assistance’. In 2021, Electricity Canada developed a pilot program to act as the single point of contact for our members to assist in this mass coordination effort in case of emergencies. From ice storms, to derechos, to hurricanes, utilities that participate in mutual assistance agreements have access 24/7 support. Current Affairs sits down with Shelley Levoy, Manager, Distribution and Mutual Assistance to the past, present and future of the program.

Hi Shelley, thanks for joining us. Electricity Canada’s Ontario Mutual Assistance Group has grown over the last year! Talk to us about that growth.

Absolutely! The Ontario Mutual Assistance Group (OnMAG) has been steadily growing, and we now have 31 utility members, covering 91% of customers across Ontario. With this growth, we've organized into sub-regions to enhance efficiency and streamline restoration efforts.

Ontario is a province that spans 1,568 kilometers and includes three distinct climates. At some point in the future, we may be working to restore regions of Ontario affected by separate weather events. Ensuring we are well-practiced now to operate in regions that will serve us in actual situations in the future.

What is happening with the Canadian Mutual Assistance Group (CanMAG)?

In late 2023, we revitalized and updated the Canadian Mutual Assistance Agreement as a membership to enhance its effectiveness. Since then, we’ve actively encouraged all Canadian utilities to sign on. Our goal with the Agreement is to build a framework that will ensure our members experience a streamlined response during crises, eliminating key coordination challenges. Strengthening our national resilience regarding extensive restoration ensures faster, more organized support.

Right now, we're seeing momentum with our OnMAG members signing onto CanMAG, which broadens the pool of available resources for all our members. For example, if a utility from the East Coast needs help, they are not part of OnMAG, which is an Ontario program. But if the East Coast utility in our example has signed CanMAG and the Ontario utilities offering to send support have signed CanMAG, we're all connected and able to assist each other, no matter where the need arises!

There have been rumours about "TechMAG". Tell us about that.

Lately, it seems in all directions, there's been a shift in focus to cybersecurity— we know it's top of mind for our board and our members. We're working on a cybersecurity-focused mutual assistance agreement, similar to the Canada Mutual Assistance Agreement, specifically for cyber events. We're calling it the Technology Mutual Assistance Group, or TechMAG. Well, that's the working title. The idea is to create a roster of qualified experts who can assist utilities during a cybersecurity event or attack. We aim to launch in spring 2025 and are currently drafting the agreement and building the framework.

Looking ahead, we recognize that a utility could face a physical and cyber attack simultaneously, so getting TechMAG up and running is a top priority. Our future goals include hosting exercises to develop a framework for coordinating physical and cyber responses effectively, ensuring we're prepared for that dual-threat scenario.

What are upcoming developments in the mutual assistance space that you're looking forward to in the coming year and what is the most exciting?

As part of CanMAG, we're in the early stages of working with our U.S. partners along the Canada-U.S. border to improve cross-border mutual assistance efforts. Right now, each border crossing has different requirements, which can slow down emergency restoration efforts. We're mapping out how to standardize the process for moving crews and equipment across the border by land, air, and water so they can get to work as quickly as possible.

An exciting OnMAG development, we met at Hydro Ottawa this week. Part of our meeting focused on standardizing resources and best practices. For example, standardizing equipment names across companies would make it easier to share resources efficiently. We're also looking to streamline procedures for crews arriving on site, ensuring they have the correct information, permits, and local guidance to hit the ground running. It's all about improving communication and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

What do you like best about working in the mutual assistance community?

The people. This is a corny answer, for sure, but let me give you context. I have a long career in fundraising, and I have met my share of people who do good work. Everyone I have encountered in the mutual assistance space knows what they're talking about, and they are confident in what they're doing. There's a level of patience, understanding, and ease of explanation in everything that they do.

They focus on being efficient without compromising safety, with two top objectives: getting everyone home and logging how we can improve on what was done last time.

For more information on Electricity Canada’s Mutual Assistance Program, contact info@electricity.ca