Ontarians can expect more days like Monday, July 5, when a Hydro One breaker burst into flames, leaving 240,000 sweltering Toronto residents without power during a heat wave. Much of the Crown-owned utility’s equipment is nearing the end of its design life, and as the provincial government reins in spending, it is neglecting the aging infrastructure that keeps the air conditioners humming, critics say.

The transmission grid that delivers power to local utilities throughout North America was developed about 50 years ago, Professor Reza Iravani (ECE) told The Globe and Mail. If the system is not refurbished, he said, it will become more prone to power outages.

“When the equipment reaches the end of its lifetime, it has to be replaced,” he noted. “Otherwise, the reliability is jeopardized.”

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