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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
A SUSTAINABLE
PATH
Mission & Vision
A SUSTAINABLE PATH FORWARD
The evidence of EPCOR’s commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility is widespread: from helping with the biological renewal of Howe
Sound in British Columbia to protecting the North Saskatchewan River Watershed.
EPCOR Utilities Inc. (EPCOR) is a leader in water-reuse for industry, helping to protect fragile ecosystems. We are committed to protecting public health
through the production and delivery of high quality drinking water and the responsible management of wastewater.
We know that a sustainable water and wastewater utility is not only financially sound and operationally excellent; it also assumes responsibility for the
environment in which it operates and is accountable to its customers and the greater community.
On the electricity side, our crews keep the distribution and transmission system in Edmonton running, keeping the lights on for homes and businesses,
safely and reliably. We have a “smart grid” road map in place, a technological transformation that will deliver a two-way flow of information between the
company and the customer and across the electrical power grid. It will also position us for the future and new environmentally friendly technologies such as
plug-in electric vehicles.
Our company and our employees support the communities where we live and operate. Our community support ranges from the individual initiatives of
employees who donate their time after work hours to worthy organizations with EPCOR’s support, to Sports and Youth Excellence Awards in communities
where we operate. Our community engagement culminated with our support of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and for top
amateur athletes through Gold Medal Plates fund-raising dinners.
Providing more
This is all in line with the theme you can see next to the EPCOR logo at the top of this page
and throughout this report: “Providing more.”
“Providing more” is a good two-word summary of EPCOR’s enduring culture. Our employees
live it every day — that’s what we’re all about. It means not just meeting regulatory standards
for water and wastewater but exceeding them whenever we can. It means not just taking our
water from the closest source but doing everything we can to protect and enhance the entire
watershed.
We provide more in customer service. We listen to our customers and understand that they
want different options for their transactions with us.
The theme also reflects our commitment to safety, to ensuring that we make no compromise
affecting the safety of our employees or the public.
“Providing more” is reflected in all sections of this report from our innovative governance model
to the dedication of distribution and transmission and water services employees who responded
in 2009 to extraordinary weather events that knocked down power lines and disrupted water
mains. The theme represents a culture that goes beyond just getting the job done to a culture
that’s all about excellence.
Key business decision
Those same values were reflected in a key business decision taken in 2009, a decision that’s critical to our long-term sustainable financial performance, the
foundation for corporate responsibility.
In July 2009, we fundamentally restructured our business. This involved selling our power generation assets to create Capital Power Corporation.
Details of this important transaction are provided elsewhere in this report but I would point out that it will enable us to fund our future growth, maintain the
value we have created and provide a more stable, predictable investment for our Shareholder — the City of Edmonton.
We have now turned our full attention to our water and wires businesses, and intend to grow at a more measured pace than in the past. We will proceed on
this responsible and sustainable course based on four strategic growth platforms that greatly benefit the environment and society as a whole:
Investments in regulated water and wires (electricity distribution and transmission) primarily in Alberta’s Capital Region.
An expanded presence in the water treatment sector in the Alberta oil sands and resource sectors.
Selective development or acquisition of water /wastewater and electricity transmission infrastructure in Western Canada and the United States.
Selective development of commercial investments in municipal regulated water /wastewater systems outside Edmonton, primarily in Alberta and British
Columbia with consideration of Ontario investments, subject to market conditions.
Each of the four platforms is underscored by EPCOR’s commitment to the environment and the well-being of our employees and communities.
We believe that setting forth publicly what we intend to accomplish and how we intend to minimize our impact on the environment makes good business
sense. Holding ourselves accountable and reporting on our progress is one way EPCOR demonstrates that we mean what we say for about caring for our
customers, our Shareholder, the communities we serve, our people and the environment.
Ultimately, we hold ourselves to high standards of conduct and performance and with this report, we are pleased to demonstrate accountability for our
actions.
Don Lowry,
President and CEO
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
A SUSTAINABLE
PATH
Mission & Vision
MISSION & VISION Our Mission
We make life better in our communities by providing clean water and safe, reliable electricity.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be a premier North American essential services company, providing great tasting drinking water, clean wastewater and safe, reliable
electricity; a company whose employees go home to their families safe each night.
To achieve our vision, we will focus on:
People and safety: Be a place where people choose to work, known for our zero-injury culture and focus on continuous improvement.
Operational excellence: Be recognized as an expert in our business by adopting best available technology and solutions that enhance water
and power quality, system reliability, and our efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Environment: Make the environment a priority in everything we do.
Growth: Deliver increasing value to our shareholder.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
North
Saskatchewan
Watershed
Bow River
Watershed
Port Hardy
Watershed
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
THE BIOLOGIST IN HIP WADERS
Responsibility for Watersheds
Stephanie Neufeld has a passion for rivers.
She was raised on a farm near the stony, twisting McLeod River west of Edmonton and spent long summer days floating
on it and exploring its banks, collecting and studying dragonfly larvae and other creatures. This passion led to an
undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology at the University of Alberta. In summer, she trekked through pristine
northern wetlands, sampling vegetation, monitoring duck populations, collecting aquatic insects, and analyzing sediment
and water quality, all while trying to understand the complexity of these systems.
The natural systems functioned beautifully on
their own but increasingly, human disturbances
affected the processes. Close to home, forests
and wetlands were being converted to
agricultural land, industrial footprints were
increasing and suburban expansion was
growing. Stephanie wanted to know how all
these actions impacted the rivers and
ecosystems she loves. She undertook a
Masters of Science degree and became an
aquatic biologist.
When Stephanie joined EPCOR as a
Watershed Specialist, it was a natural fit.
EPCOR needed to ensure that the source of
the drinking water it supplies to some one
million people in the Edmonton area and to
communities across Alberta and British
Columbia is as clean as possible upstream and downstream. EPCOR recognized that a watershed approach is vital to
achieving this.
“We know intuitively that
protecting our watershed
is the first step in
protecting public health
through quality tap
water; but on the
ground, watershed
protection is
complicated.”
- Stephanie Neufeld,
Watershed Specialist
“I love this job and all the complexities of managing a shared resource affected by a multitude of stakeholders,” she says.
“We know intuitively that protecting our watershed is the first step in protecting public health through quality tap water; but
on the ground, watershed protection is complicated.”
The North Saskatchewan River, largely fed by glaciers and melting snowpack, flows out of the Rocky Mountains through
the foothills and boreal forest. As it winds its way towards Edmonton, many major tributaries enter and may bring
contaminants along with them. Nutrients, pathogens, sediment and pesticide levels increase as a result of watershed
activities such as timber harvesting, agriculture, ranching, resource extraction, industrial activity and municipal discharges.
“These are big challenges and fortunately, I’m far from alone in addressing them,”
says Stephanie. “Watershed management is a shared responsibility and EPCOR
works with all stakeholders in the watershed to achieve healthy aquatic
ecosystems and high quality water.
“Education of the public is a big part of this and as I know from my own
experience, a good place to start is with young people. That’s why EPCOR is a
sponsor of RiverWatch, for example. We take students down the river by raft and stop along the shores. They conduct their
own water quality tests and evaluate aquatic insect communities so they can see the difference as they move through a
large urban centre.”
“I see myself in those same gumboots, not that many years ago.”
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
North
Saskatchewan
Watershed
Bow River
Watershed
Port Hardy
Watershed
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
EPCOR'S OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH
SASKATCHEWAN RIVER BASIN
EPCOR withdraws water from the North Saskatchewan River at Edmonton
from its two water treatment plants — Rossdale and E.L. Smith. They supply
drinking water to 61 communities and counties in the greater Edmonton
region. This represents an annual average of about 3% of the river’s total
flow. However, the majority of the water withdrawn is returned to the river via
EPCOR’s Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, plus the Capital Region
Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated through a regional
commission with representation from 13 member communities.
North Saskatchewan watershed issues
What effect will climate change have on the flows in North Saskatchewan
River? How will population growth and increased forestry, farming, ranching
EPCOR not only conducts watershed protection research but also helps
and industrial use affect the river? How is water quality impacted by
young people learn about river systems by conducting their own science
contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting compounds,
studies.
pesticides, sediment, nutrients, and metals? And how do we work
collaboratively to manage a watershed so that it continues to produce clean and abundant water to meet our needs now and in the future?
These are big, complex and often interrelated questions. There are no quick or easy answers. But EPCOR is taking these issues very seriously.
In 2008, EPCOR developed a Source Water Protection plan as part of its commitment to protect the communities it
serves via the North Saskatchewan River. The plan is designed to help EPCOR, communities, stakeholders, and
the public mitigate potential risks to source water supplies by understanding the pressures on the resource at the
watershed scale.
This work is also linked to the development of a multi-stakeholder Integrated Watershed Management Plan for the
North Saskatchewan River Basin by the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. A key part of the plan was the
development of proposed water quality objectives for specific reaches of the river. The underlying principle is that no
further degradation of water quality should occur and improvements should be made where degradation has
occurred. These objectives will be reviewed by stakeholders throughout 2010 at a series of planning forums.
Highlights
EPCOR Water Services prepared two discussion papers on water quality and water quantity
in the North Saskatchewan for the City of Edmonton’s “Way We Green” initiative. These
papers support an on-going public consultation process around sustainability in Edmonton.
EPCOR partners with upstream stewardship groups such as Clearwater Landcare to support
best management practices on the land.
Research is a focus for EPCOR. Key research projects have largely been facilitated through
Percentage of North Saskatchewan River flow
withdrawn to supply drinking water to Edmonton and 60
the North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance. They include reports on water supply,
other regional communities. Most of this water is
assessment of climate change effects on water quantity, current and future water use,
returned to the river as treated wastewater.
groundwater assessment, and water quality modelling.
A project sponsored by EPCOR and undertaken by the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative on climate change has been completed. This
research suggests there could be greater frequency of both drought and flooding on the North Saskatchewan.
Monitoring of water quality in the basin continues through EPCOR initiatives as well as through partnerships. These include upstream tributary
monitoring as well as monitoring pharmaceuticals and personal care products in raw water. As well, EPCOR continues to partner with the City of
Edmonton’s Drainage Branch to complete outfall, combined sewer outfall, tributary, wastewater treatment plant sampling and intake sampling at
EPCOR’s water treatment plants.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
North
Saskatchewan
Watershed
Bow River
Watershed
Port Hardy
Watershed
EPCOR'S OPERATIONS IN THE BOW RIVER
BASIN
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
EPCOR has five operations in the Bow River Basin: Banff—wastewater treatment, Canmore,
Okotoks, Strathmore—drinking water production and wastewater treatment, Chestermere—
water distribution and wastewater collection. All these communities, along with EPCOR, are
members and supporters of the Bow River Basin Council.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
Bow River watershed issues
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
A report on the state of the Bow River Basin doesn’t mince words: “In dry years, any new
allocations will have a significant risk of not receiving water.” That 2005 report by the Bow River
Basin Council noted the rapidly increasing population in the basin. It determined that by the time
the Bow reaches its confluence with the Oldman River, 68% of its average annual flow has
been accounted for by water licenses issued to municipalities, irrigation districts and other users.
Actual consumption is currently lower. Of the allocated water, 76% is licensed for irrigation.
All of these factors make watershed planning vital — and EPCOR has taken an active role as
well as contributing funding and support services.
Highlights
In September 2009, EPCOR sponsored a Council forum on watershed planning.
The Council completed Phase One of the basin’s Watershed Management Plan. It outlines
specific water quality objectives for specific reaches of the river.
The next step will be the development of an updated state-of-the- watershed report and Phase Two of the management plan, looking at land use.
EPCOR is working with partners in the basin to develop and coordinate water quality sampling programs and reporting.
EPCOR worked with the community of Okotoks in 2009 to develop a source water protection plan to be finalized in 2010.
EPCOR worked with the town of Canmore and other partners to install watershed protection interpretative signs along the Bow River in Canmore in
2010.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
North
Saskatchewan
Watershed
Bow River
Watershed
Port Hardy
Watershed
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
EPCOR'S OPERATIONS IN PORT HARDY
EPCOR has a 20-year guaranteed performance contract to operate Port Hardy’s water and
wastewater system on Vancouver Island.
Highlights
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
The source of water for the Port Hardy, B.C. water treatment plant, operated by EPCOR, is
the Tsulquate River, which runs through a coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone
with large areas of organic terrain. This gives the raw water a distinctive tea-like colour.
Although the watershed, situated in the north part of Vancouver Island, is so far mostly
undeveloped, there are potential human sources of contaminants including transportation,
recreation and forestry activities.
EPCOR participates in the Tsulquate River Watershed Working Group and is currently
drafting a Strategic Watershed Management Plan for the Tsulquate watershed, with input
from watershed stakeholders.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
CO-EXISTING WITH THE FISH
Responsibility for Water
On the surface, EPCOR’s effort to protect the fish in the North Saskatchewan River just looks like your garden-variety steel
pipe. But thanks to months of planning and testing, it’s part of the most successful fish return system of its kind. To the
small mountain whitefish that inhabit the river, it was well worth the effort.
In the past, engineers simply used a series of
crude screens to keep fish from getting caught
in water intake pipes. The results were mixed.
So when EPCOR expanded its E.L Smith
Water Treatment plant, there was a perfect
opportunity to try something new. In
partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada
and a local engineering firm, EPCOR created a
series of models that mimicked the plant’s
processing.
“Unfortunately, you can’t ask a fish how the
process should work,” jokes Karen Crews,
Project Management Coordinator at the plant.
Instead, Karen’s team played with velocity
rates, used colourful dyes, and tweaked the
design of screens numerous times to keep the
water – and the fish – moving.
The result is a system of gentle pumps and perfectly angled
pipes that allow fish as small as 25 mm to safely bypass the
plant and be deposited further downstream. It’s even sensitive
enough to handle fish eggs.
“Everyone who touched this project really cared about it,” says
Vision for water
We are committed to
protecting public health
through the production
and delivery of high
quality drinking water. A
sustainable water utility
is not only financially
sound and operationally
excellent, it also
assumes responsibility
for the environment in
which it operates and is
accountable to its
customers and the larger
community.
Karen. “We did more modeling than was required, but we’re very
proud of the end result. It was a real testament to having a
shared sense of responsibility.”
Fish this small (less than 1 inch) can safely bypass the
E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant thanks to an
innovative system.
More than this, it’s also a testament of how a city of almost a million people can co-exist with a variety of fish species,
from the northern pike to pickerel to the tiny mountain whitefish. In her 22-year career with EPCOR, Karen learned the
most working on this 18-month project. But for an occasional angler, she’s knows it’s an investment in something more
important.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
PILOT PLANT TESTS NEW IDEAS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
Imagine a miniature version of your home sitting directly beside your real
one. This scale model works exactly the same way as your house; it has
running water, electricity, and a family living in it. But whenever someone in
your house thinks up a new way of doing things, you can test it first. Like
whether or not that new puppy is a good idea.
That’s the beauty of EPCOR’s pilot plant. It sits next to Edmonton’s E.L.
Smith water treatment plant and mimics the larger plant in every respect. In
essence, it allows engineers like Wendell James to test new ideas for water
treatment, without compromising public safety. It’s one of the few water
treatment facilities in Canada with permanent on-site piloting – a huge
advantage for city residents.
“You can’t play around with the quality of someone’s water,” says Wendell,
Manager of the Process Development Team, part of EPCOR’s Quality
Assurance Department. “We’re extremely fortunate to have a place where
we can test new ideas and technologies to keep ahead of ever-changing
water quality requirements. It really lets us reach a new level of quality.”
Over the years, the pilot facilities have been used for testing dozens of
proposed treatment changes. Some of them have been adopted; others have
been found to be technically or economically unfeasible.
“Pilot facilities really allow us to respond to issues quickly and be
proactive,” says Wendell James, Manager of the Process Development
Team.
One current project for Wendell’s team is a new application of direct filtration that greatly reduces the requirement for alum – a key substance added to
clarify water – in the winter months.
Pilot tests have shown that in the winter, when incoming river water is cleaner, only a small amount of alum may be
necessary. This discovery would reduce the amount of alum solids discharged back into the river, and keep
EPCOR ahead of the regulatory curve. A decision to proceed with a full-scale demonstration of direct filtration at
the water plants wouldn’t have been made without the positive results from the pilot study.
“Pilot facilities really allow us to respond to issues quickly and to be proactive,” says Wendell.
He envisions a time when pilot studies will be needed to find cost-effective ways to treat municipal wastewater for
a variety of local industrial re-use applications..
“We’re also able to solve minor operational challenges quickly,” he adds with a smile. “Our managers love that.”
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
HOW EPCOR MEETS PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS
EPCOR is required to meet performance standards for system reliability,
customer service, environment, safety and water quality. This is part of
EPCOR’s Performance Based Regulation contract with the City of Edmonton.
EPCOR has met its total audited performance targets for all eight consecutive
years (2001–2009) since the contract was started.
Due to diligent monitoring and preventive maintenance programs, EPCOR’s
system water losses were below the North American utility industry average
of 10%.
Activities to promote and practice the wise use of water include public
education and water utility “best practices” activities such as leak detection,
water loss control and unidirectional flushing of water mains.
Drinking water guidelines are determined by Health Canada. Alberta Environment sets additional standards and issues water treatment operating
licences for provincial communities. In addition, EPCOR sets its own internal quality standards, which are typically more stringent than those set by
government.
We monitor the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the drinking water we produce. In Edmonton, our water was regularly checked
for 353 different substances to meet provincial standards and national guidelines.
Over 99,000 water quality tests were carried out internally by EPCOR’s accredited laboratory,
and an additional 5,500 tests were sent to external laboratories for analysis. Plant operators
perform additional water quality tests for plant process control. Water quality data are also
supplied by 150 electronic online analyzers that run 24 hours a day.
Meeting standards across Alberta
Okotoks, Alberta: EPCOR responded to changes in the Sheep River with important upgrades
EPCOR’s accredited laboratory carried out more than
99,000 water quality tests.
to the water treatment plant serving one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities. The raw water supply has changed significantly with periods of high
turbidity (suspended particles in raw water) associated with a spring runoff that has grown longer and more severe. The upgrades are complete.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
COMPLIANCE WITH GUIDELINES
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
EPCOR’s Water Quality Index for 2009 was 99.7%, almost unchanged from 99.8% in 2008. The
index refers to how well we comply with our own water quality standards, which are generally
more stringent than regulatory standards.
In 2009, water quality guidelines for the Edmonton distribution system were breached 41
times (24 for high turbidity levels, 3 for low chlorine levels and 14 for positive total coliform
bacteria). All issues were in a localized area and remedied within 48 hours.
Turbidity of water in the distribution system is mainly an aesthetic measure rather than
health-related. The positive bacterial results were mainly due to contamination at household
taps from which the water samples were collected. All follow-up samples were negative for
coliform bacteria. None of the bacterial samples collected in the distribution system during
2009 contained E. coli.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE
OIL SANDS
EPCOR understands that managing water use for industry can be a significant
environmental and economic challenge. EPCOR’s water and wastewater
experts focus on analyzing total water management processes, and consider
ways to mitigate risks and maximize ongoing operational efficiency, including
water reuse opportunities.
EPCOR is capable of providing potable water and domestic wastewater
services to more than 6,000 Suncor Energy oil sands workers. In 2009, EPCOR
acquired the water and wastewater facilities under a sale lease-back
agreement. A dedicated Fort McMurray team monitors and safeguards
operations at Suncor’s Steepbank, Firebag, Borealis and Voyageur sites, along
with some operations at the base camp.
Along with other innovations, the agreement includes a multiple-barrier
approach to water management, designed to enhance overall environmental protection and improve operational standards. Over the long-term, the vision is
to build a total water management solution for Suncor that focuses on maximizing water reuse and recycling through the integration of new technologies
and waste minimization.
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ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
CLEANING UP HOWE SOUND
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
Pilot Plants Test
New Ideas
How EPCOR Meets
Performance
Standards
Compliance With
Guidelines
Environmental
Protection in the
Oilsands
Cleaning Up Howe
Sound
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
In a partnership between EPCOR and the Government of British Columbia,
EPCOR designed, built and now operates a water treatment facility at the
abandoned Britannia Mine near the community of Britannia Beach on Howe
Sound north of Vancouver.
The mine began full production back in the early 1900s. Over the year, the
mine developed a reputation as one of the largest heavy metal pollution
sources in North America. Metal ores from the mine combined with water to
create acid rock drainage, which seeped into Howe Sound. The mine, which
closed in 1974, had burdened the people of Britannia Beach with a legacy of
pollution.
EPCOR’s process turns the heavy metals into a stable, non-toxic lime-metal
sludge that can be safely managed. The treated water flows into Howe
Sound.
Each year the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Facility removes more than
Despite the large-scale nature of the problem from decades of mining in
300,000 kilograms of heavy metals that would otherwise pollute Howe
the region, the facility has created what are believed to be some of the
Sound on the B.C. coast.
best environmental conditions in Howe Sound’s intertidal region in over
100 years.
The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada recognized the Britannia Mine remediation project with its highest honour, the Special
Achievement Award, "for exceptional accomplishments in the mineral industry." The citation makes special mention of EPCOR's role in the treatment of
the contaminated mine water and protection of Howe Sound's marine environment, and of the Museum of Mining in Britannia Beach. EPCOR opened
the plant in 2006 and operates it in partnership with the B.C. government.
Each year the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Facility removes more than 300,000 kilograms of heavy metals that would otherwise pollute Howe
Sound.
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RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATERSHEDS
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WATER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
From Waste to
Reusable Energy
The Wastewater
Challenge
Wastewater Briefs
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
A MODEL FOR WATER REUSE
Responsibility for Wastewater
“Turns out that oil and water can mix,” jokes Vince Corkery of EPCOR’s Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant in
Edmonton.
No, EPCOR isn’t defying the laws of physics. Instead, it is
collaborating with Suncor Energy to address an important
challenge: meeting industry demands for large volumes of
clean water while still protecting the watershed. The silver bullet
came in the form of an advanced membrane filter with millions
of pore openings one thousandth the diameter of a human hair
that “polishes” treated municipal wastewater from EPCOR’s
Gold Bar plant, making it clean enough to be used for industrial
processes.
Each day up to 15 million litres of this clean water now travels
along a 5.5 km pipeline direct to the Suncor Refinery where it is
used in the production of steam and hydrogen, and in the
facility’s cooling towers.
Most drinking water around the world doesn’t come out as
clean as what we’re producing,” says Vince, Director of the
Gold Bar plant. “It is a stellar example of how we can put
wastewater to work by reusing it. This reduces the demand on
the river.”
The water Suncor purchases from EPCOR is free of sediment
and particulates that could hamper operations. Fluctuating river
quality and the status of water licenses are no longer an issue.
In short, it’s a win-win for both industry and the environment.
Vision for
wastewater
management
We are committed to
protecting the public
health through
responsible
management of
wastewater. A
sustainable wastewater
utility is not only
financially sound and
operationally excellent, it
also assumes
responsibility for the
environment in which it
operates and is
accountable to its
customers and the larger
community.
The award-winning project made national headlines when it was conceived in 2002. Through the combined efforts of both
companies. the country’s largest membrane-based water reuse project is now a notable success. It required thoughtful
design, a masterful application of the concept, and out-of-the box thinking.
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FROM WASTE TO REUSABLE ENERGY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
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WASTEWATER
From Waste to
Reusable Energy
The Wastewater
Challenge
Wastewater Briefs
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
Every day, the digesters treating sludge and surface scum at the Gold Bar
Wastewater Treatment Plant in Edmonton produce 65 million litres of biogas.
This biogas is 65 – 70% methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The rest is mostly
carbon dioxide.
Instead of simply flaring all this gas, Gold Bar converts most of it into usable
energy by fuelling on-site boilers that produce hot water to heat the plant site
and provide some power for equipment. It was one of the first wastewater
plants in Canada to do so.
In 2009, Gold Bar was able to use 70% of the biogas as fuel. That resulted in
about $1.3 million in fuel savings for the year. The eventual target is to use
100% of the biogas produced.
In compressed form, this biogas is also used for digester mixing. The heat
produced allows the digester tanks to maintain an internal temperature of 37
degrees Celsius — an ideal climate for the bacteria to break down solids and eradicate disease-causing organisms.
Biosolids from the process are also reused. The Nutri-Gold Program (a City of Edmonton program) turns biosolids into a substance specifically designed to
enrich and condition farmland. An excellent source of nitrogen and micronutrients, treated biosolids are delivered to qualifying farms near the Clover Bar
Biosolids Recycling Facility and spread on fields, free of charge. Since the program’s inception, 328,439 dry tonnes of biosolids, covering 15,560 hectares
of farmland, have been distributed to over 360 local farmers.
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THE WASTEWATER CHALLENGE: AN
INTERVIEW WITH VINCE CORKERY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WASTEWATER
Vince Corkery is the Director, Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant
From Waste to
Reusable Energy
The Wastewater
Challenge
Wastewater Briefs
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
POWER
DISTRIBUTION &
TRANSMISSION
How big is Gold Bar?
It’s one of Canada’s largest advanced wastewater treatment plants. It’s
designated a Class IV wastewater facility. We have a design capacity of 310
million litres a day, which would be equal to filling about 135 Olympic-size
swimming pools. We serve about 820,000 people in the Edmonton area. The
plant site is 19.5 hectares.
How long does it take for water to move through the plant until
it’s discharged into the river?
When we were a secondary treatment facility, the time was about 12 hours.
Now we have full tertiary treatment that includes ultraviolet disinfection of the final effluent and and Biological Nutrient Removal processes. The liquid
stream moved though grit tanks and screens, primary clarifiers, bioreactors, secondary clarifiers and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection channels. The solids that
are removed move through the fermenters, sludge blend tanks, thickeners and digesters. Those additional processes have extended the treatment time to
an average of 18 hours.
How would you describe the quality of this water that the plant discharges into the North Saskatchewan River?
It’s classified as high-quality effluent, which means that it minimizes effects on the water quality of the North Saskatchewan River and the river habitat.
Solid, organic and chemical waste is separated from wastewater so the water can be safely re-introduced into the river through the extensive primary,
secondary and tertiary processes. Our treated effluent regularly surpasses its approval limits.
What are your major challenges?
Our ultimate target is zero discharge: recycling all wastewater, and using anything considered waste — such as biosolids or biogas — and turning it all into
marketable product. Another challenge is to reclaim even more water for non-potable uses.
What happens during heavy rain?
Another challenge we’re addressing like many municipalities across North America is eliminating or mitigating the
effects of combined sewer systems. During heavy rains, these combined systems, which include both runoff from
the streets and wastewater from homes and businesses, often capture more water than they can handle, resulting
in wastewater overflows to the river. Without such overflows, there would be no way of preventing untreated
wastewater from backing up into household basements.
It’s important to know that Edmonton’s sewer system is now mostly separated into storm water and sanitary sewer
systems. Some older neighbourhoods still have combined systems, amounting to about 15% of the overall service
area. But this percentage is steadily being reduced as the systems in these neighbourhoods are rehabilitated.
With recent changes at Gold Bar, the amount of untreated overflow entering the river is greatly diminished. The overflows are directed to the Enhanced
Primary Treatment Clarifiers, which allow the plant to take in and treat more peak seasonal flows.
More information
Edmonton’s water and wastewater treatment experts were reunited in 2009 when the City transferred the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant to EPCOR.
An inside look at state-of-the-art wastewater treatment
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WASTEWATER BRIEFS
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From Waste to
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The Wastewater
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Spill into Bow River
About 1,900 cubic metres of partially treated sewage spilled into the Bow River in Banff National Park in June 2009 after a mechanical failure at Banff’s
wastewater treatment plant. The wastewater was about 70% through the treatment process when it was discharged. The incident was investigated by
Environment Canada. In addition, a formal Notice of Investigation was received from Alberta Environment following the incident and plant personnel were
interviewed. Currently the investigation is open.
EPCOR took over as operator of the plant in March 2009 and was in the process of compiling its recommendations for plant upgrades to prevent such
incidents. A Plant Deficiencies Report and an Incident Investigation Report were completed. Both reports made recommendations to prevent a reoccurrence
of the incident and the recommended changes have been made. Work on additional recommendations not related to the spill is nearly complete.
Protecting Port Hardy area shellfish
Aging septic systems at Storey Beach near Port Hardy, B.C., were polluting the ocean nearby and affecting shellfish. EPCOR worked with the community
and with archaeologists and extended the sewer system to serve the area. The expanded collection system will allow existing homes and new
developments to hook up to the sewer system. In addition, EPCOR installed a backup generator at the water treatment plant to ensure service in the event
of a power outage.
Taber gets state-of-art technology
EPCOR upgraded the Taber, Alberta wastewater treatment plant to ensure that the town of 7,800 meets new Alberta Environment regulations. The
upgrades include ultraviolet disinfection, biological nutrient removal and remote monitoring. The upgrades also meet Taber’s growth needs.
Strathmore meets growing needs
Construction started on upgrades to the community’s wastewater treatment plant to meet growing needs and address new Alberta Environment regulations. Scheduled for completion in October 2010, the additions include a new sludge-processing facility, grit removal and screening, clarifiers, a biological nutrient
reactor tank and an ultraviolet disinfection facility.
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Working Towards
Zero Net Waste
Smart Grid Looks
to Future
POWER POLES: THEY'RE FOR THE BIRDS
Responsibility for Power Distribution & Transmission
Harvey Grabill is for the birds.
Mission
As Environment Manager for EPCOR Distribution and Transmission (D&T) Harvey has been working for six years to protect
migratory birds from high-voltage power lines — and at the same time protect customers from extended power outages.
“Migratory birds, especially raptors such as
ospreys, love power lines and power poles,” he
says. “The lines and poles are high enough so
they can spot their prey and dive down for it.
The poles give them roosting and nesting
platforms.”
This can be a tragic mistake for birds — and a
big challenge for utilities like EPCOR. The
wingspans of larger birds like ospreys may
bridge the gaps between wires or between
wires, insulators and poles. The birds are
electrocuted and customers may lose power.
Birds can also drop nesting materials that
bridge wires and cause more outages.
Accumulation of bird droppings can
contaminate insulators and cause flashovers.
Harvey and his team are taking action as part of EPCOR’s ongoing commitment to
continuous improvement in environmental stewardship and in support of D&T’s ISO
14001 certification, an internationally recognized standard for environmental
management. They have put up separate tall poles in key locations, just for the
birds. These poles have no wires and are 10 feet higher than the adjacent power
lines.
Our mission is to deliver
power to our customers
in a safe,
environmentally
responsible, reliable and
competitively priced
manner and to provide
best-in-class customer
service while building
enduring customer
relationships.
"The birds are attracted to the extra height and the dedicated platform on which
they can build their nest,” Harvey says. “The system works. It’s safe for birds and
we’ve had many ospreys and other birds build their nests on the dedicated poles
rather than the poles with the live wires. We educate contractors who trim any
trees nearby so they don’t disturb the birds.”
EPCOR also puts wildlife protectors on its power poles to keep climbing animals from reaching the live wires.
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Working Towards
Zero Net Waste
Smart Grid Looks
to Future
WORKING TOWARDS ZERO NET WASTE
EPCOR Distribution and Transmission (D&T) is working to create zero net waste by 2015 in 15 identified waste streams. D&T is certified under ISO 14001.
In 2009, D&T recycled 90% of the material in the 15 waste streams. For example, it recycles almost all of its wooden utility poles. It also recycles its
transformers and the mineral oil in them.
D&T recycles all of its "e-waste," including electronics and electrical equipment not containing PCBs.
A total of 432,860 kilograms of solid waste and 87,295 litres of liquid waste was recycled in 2009. More than 33 tonnes of clean soil was taken to a
landfill for reuse.
D&T’s environmental statement ensures that all impacts on the environment and wildlife, such as migratory birds, are considered prior to any
construction.
EPCOR minimizes the environmental impact of its transmission corridors by simply cutting the grass and leaving the remains as mulch. No chemicals
are used. A herbicide is used to kill weeds within substations but these are secured with two-metre fences that keep out wildlife.
Environmental policy
EPCOR’s Environmental Policy recognizes that the environment is “common to all stakeholders and requires thoughtful stewardship and
accountability by all users to sustain its quality and preserve it for future generations.”
It says we will conduct business “in a responsible and open manner that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. We will engage
and dialogue with our stakeholders and report on our emissions. We audit our operations and monitor our environmental performance to ensure
that our objectives, targets and commitments are being achieved.”
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Working Towards
Zero Net Waste
Smart Grid Looks
to Future
SMART GRID LOOKS TO FUTURE
EPCOR is working on a technological transformation that will deliver a
constant two-way flow of information from the customer, to the customer,
and across the electrical power grid and its scores of individual components.
It’s known as the Smart Grid initiative — and the implications are huge.
Big storms, like the one that blasted through Edmonton in July 2009, can
quickly knock out dozens of circuits, affecting thousands of customers for
hours.
The Smart Grid, on the other hand, tends to be self-healing. It uses a
system called Distribution Automation (DA) to minimize outages and lead to
quicker identification of faulted areas — and faster repairs. In the event of a
failure in the grid, DA can identify and isolate the failure, restoring power to
most customers within a minute. This permits crews to work at locations
where there may be actual damages, such as downed wires or a blown
transformer that suffered a lightning strike.
Three DA circuits were installed in 2009 and 10 more are planned for 20102011. EPCOR has a total of 280 circuits but many of them may not be
suitable for DA, such as underground circuits not subject to lightning strikes
or falling trees.
Doreen Cole, Senior Vice President, Electricity Services, holds a traditional
power meter (on left) and a smart meter (on right) that is capable of twoway communication between EPCOR and the residence. (Edmonton
Journal photo — used with permission.)
Smart grid technology is also designed to position EPCOR for the future and for new environmentally friendly technologies such as plug-in electric vehicles.
In addition to making the grid itself more responsive, the Smart Grid initiative includes projects that can make customers more responsive to their own
power usage.
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) component will place smart meters in homes, replacing traditional power meters. Smart meters can provide
customers with hourly data about their power usage, which can help them to make better choices about energy consumption.
Studies throughout Europe, the United States and Canada have shown that when customers have access to updated energy usage data, they use 5% to
20% less power. If Edmonton’s residential customers were to reduce consumption by just 5%, they would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 57,000
tonnes per year.
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How We Support
Communities
Our Road to the
Olympic Winter
Games
Community
Support in Action
Hometown
Program
Community
Consultation
A STORY OF VALUES
Responsibility for Communities
Call it community karma.
EPCOR employee Lana Burnstad believes that by dedicating time to helping others in the community, her community
becomes stronger. She gives well over 50 hours a year to different causes, and because of her commitment, EPCOR
grants her $200 to donate to a community organization that’s important to her. It’s part of an innovative program called
Helping Hands.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
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“Helping Hands is one of the reasons I love
working for EPCOR,” says Lana, a Senior
Manager in Human Resources. “Its values align
with my own.”
As a youth, Lana started volunteering as a
lifeguard at a local pool. She had her first taste
of looking out for others — and turned it into a
lifelong pursuit. She started volunteering for the
St. Albert BMX Club when her daughters, at
age nine and seven, began competing in the
sport. She knows that sports give kids the
chance to succeed, and by volunteering, she
shows them that pitching in is a valuable part of
life.
“It also gives you access to leadership
opportunities that teach you things like responsibility and confidence,” says the mother of three.
Lana spends most of her volunteer time with a non-profit organization called the Mediation and Restorative Justice Centre.
The organization can help settle minor disputes between citizens involving simple bylaws and neighbourly disagreements.
Lana trained to become a mediator with assistance from EPCOR After Hours Personal Development Program. What began
Helping Hands
Grant
The Helping Hands
Grant recognizes
employees who donate
their time, skills and
knowledge through
volunteering. Employee
volunteers can apply to
have EPCOR make a
$200 contribution to a
charitable or community
service organization that
they recommend. In
2009, a total of 175
grants were given to 152
organizations.
as a desire to be more effective at work in her labour relations role turned into a skill to apply in meaningful volunteer
community work.
Lana suggests that the best ways to settle a dispute is through dialogue: “It’s amazing what happens when you put
different people in a room and have a civilized conversation. Nine times out of ten it’s simply a matter of different
expectations.”
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Community
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HOW WE SUPPORT COMMUNITIES
Community support begins with initiatives such as hot lunches and blood
donations.
An EPCOR Water Services work crew came up with the idea of serving a
hot lunch for some 190 inner city children at Edmonton’s McCauley school.
EPCOR employees are leaders among Edmonton organizations in blood
donations as part of the Corporate Challenge competitions.
Or with individual efforts and donations in communities.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE
Employee volunteers donate their time after hours to volunteer as
firefighters, search and rescue workers, Scout leaders, helpers in nursing
homes, coaches, mediators and many other roles, all with EPCOR’s
support. EPCOR encourages employees to volunteer in their communities:
employees who do so can recommend that an EPCOR Helping Hands Grants go to a charitable non-profit organization of their choice.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
OUR PEOPLE
Employees also support their communities through the United Way and donated a record $421,826 in 2009 2 in a joint campaign with Capital Power,
including a corporate contribution of $125,000.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR
SAFETY
Wider support
It extends wider through company support of communities where EPCOR operates.
One example is EPCOR’s support of the Edmonton International Street
Performers Comedy Cares program that brings the gift of laughter to
residents of long-term care facilities across Alberta and British Columbia. In
2009, Comedy Cares, in its 10th year of sponsorship, visited Canmore, Fort
McMurray, Okotoks and Strathmore in Alberta; and Sooke and White Rock
in B.C.
Another example is EPCOR’s Sports Excellence and Youth Excellence
awards programs . For example, 14-year-old Emily Munro of Canmore,
Alberta, received $2,500 to attend the 2009 National Circus School’s
Summer Camp in Montreal. That school is famous for training the
celebrated performers of the Cirque de Soleil.
EPCOR’s help has allowed sports organizations to purchase specialized
equipment, train with Olympic champions and more. The Sooke, B.C. Minor
Fastball Association, for example, used its grant not only for equipment but
also for professional development for its coaches, youth umpiring
development and travel for out-of-town competition.
EPCOR’s support extends to wider Hometown programs in Edmonton.
At the national level is EPCOR’s support of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
and Paralympic Winter Games and for top amateur athletes in training
through Gold Medal Plates fund-raising dinners.
1Data of a financial nature such as community support are consistent with
EPCOR's financial reporting principles and include support that may be
associated with previously owned power generation activities.
2Includes power generation employees.
Vision for community investment
“EPCOR is committed to community investment as a key element of corporate social responsibility. As a responsible corporate citizen, we engage
stakeholders, promote sustainability in the broadest sense and meet the needs of the community. EPCOR’s community investment and community
involvement strategy is based on EPCOR's long-term business objectives."
Choosing priorities
EPCOR is currently planning its future community support activities and levels. Our review includes feedback from employees, communities and
other stakeholders, including organizations currently receiving contributions. An ongoing challenge is to measure the impact of our community
support activities, choose priorities based on our values and business and determine appropriate levels of contribution.
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Community
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EPCOR’S ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES
What was an Edmonton-based utility doing as an Official Supplier to the Vancouver 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games?
It wasn’t officially supplying electricity or related services, or even water and wastewater
services, although, under a separate contract, it did build and operate the water supply and
wastewater facilities for the Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park during the Games.
In fact, EPCOR was supplying support to that world event and to Canadian elite athletes in
training for it. The return for EPCOR was to demonstrate leadership and its commitment to being
a responsible corporate citizen. The sponsorship also helped to solidify EPCOR’s national
positioning and provided opportunities to build relationships in communities across Canada.
Internally, EPCOR’s involvement with the Olympic Games was designed to reach into the hearts
of employees and inspire exceptional performance.
This was an extension of the commitment EPCOR made to the country’s elite and aspiring
athletes, through its Sports Excellence Awards and support of Gold Medal Plates years before
the Games. For employees, it was an extension of an internal commitment to strive for
continuous improvement, just like an athlete, and achieve higher levels of performance in all
that they do.
EPCOR’s Olympic sponsorship was not paid for by local ratepayers. Electricity rates are set
through a public regulatory filing process, which includes input from consumers. Water rates
are set through a performance-based regulation system.
EPCOR believes its involvement with the Olympics will lead to business opportunities, such
as the one that allowed it to build and temporarily operate the Whistler Olympic/Paralympic
water and wastewater facilities.
Employee participation
Olympic champions, such as Gold Medal winner Kevin
Martin, attended EPCOR events and helped inspire
employees to reach for excellence.
A “Wellness Challenge” related to the goals of Olympic athletes in training got EPCOR
employees off and running. A “We Know Winter” contest got them creating sculptures that
represented an Olympic Winter Games sport. The “PEAK challenge” got them to form cross-company teams to compete weekly around topics such as
the environment, workplace safety and the Olympics.
Employees met with and listened to Olympic medalists such as triathlete Simon Whitfield who spoke about the teamwork and the detailed, disciplined
process needed to achieve excellence.
Related community programs
Gold Medal Plates: At the national level, GE and EPCOR are the presenting sponsors of Gold Medal Plates, which highlights Canada's top medalwinning athletes through interactive dinner events. Funds raised from Gold Medal Plates are evenly divided between the Canadian Olympic Foundation's
two initiatives to support athletes: Own the Podium 2010 and Road to Excellence, supporting winter and summer athletes. Since 2004, Gold Medal
Plates has raised $4 million.
Youth Excellence Arts and Culture Award: This award is directed to youth in selected communities where EPCOR operates. Grants of up to $2,500 to
young people are designed to encourage their pursuit of excellence in a variety of areas. Between 2006 and 2009, 30 individuals have received over
$64,000 in EPCOR Youth Excellence Awards. For example, young violinist Jordan Vermes of Sooke, B.C., received funding to attend a summer
program at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Steffi Holland of Canmore was able to attend the summer program at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.
Sports Excellence Award: A contribution (up to $5,000) directed towards organizations to help with unique opportunities in the development of sports
excellence. Recipient organizations offer programs in athlete development for any summer or winter Olympic Games sport. Between 2006 and 2009,
EPCOR contributed over $135,000 to 30 youth sports organizations. For example, the Strathmore, Alberta Silver Sharks Swim Team was able to
purchase an electronic starter system and the French Creek, B.C. Track and Field Club restored the surface of its running track.
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Hometown
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Community
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COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN ACTION
EPCOR’s education initiatives aim to inspire students to make positive choices in their daily lives and question their attitudes and values with respect to
water, energy use and the environment. EPCOR’s goal is to help students grow into critical thinkers, problem solvers, team players and the leaders of
tomorrow.
The Learning Zone: Provides water and electrical safety education resources for students and teachers. The online program includes electricity
basics and home and outside smarts.
WaterQuest: Developed by EPCOR and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, WaterQuest enhances the Alberta Learning Grade 8 science
curriculum.
The Britannia Water Treatment Discovery Centre: An interactive centre developed in partnership with the B.C. Museum of Mining to create
an interactive centre that explores environmental stewardship. It looks at how EPCOR resolved environmental issues relating to heavy metal runoff that
had been contaminating Howe Sound for decades. In 2009, 2,440 visitors from elementary, secondary, post secondary and adult learning groups toured
the centre.
Alberta’s Promise: EPCOR is an Alberta’s Promise ‘Promise Builder’. This government program promotes partnerships to maximize the value of
child and youth programs.
Alberta River Watch: EPCOR partners with Alberta River Watch to provide Science 9 and Biology 20 students in central and southern Alberta with
a chance to participate in this national award winning science resource program. Classes explore a 10 km section of their local river during a raft float
trip. Along the way, students make shoreline stops to conduct water chemistry and biology tests. Back at school, students use the data they collect to
answer the question: “How healthy is our river?”
Waterlution: EPCOR partners with Waterlution in the delivery of the Future of Water Workshop Series. Waterlution’s goals are to engage individuals,
organizations and communities in exploring issues facing the local and global water supply and to explore solutions that respect water resources and
ecosystems.
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OUR ‘HOMETOWN PROGRAM’
Our “Hometown program” reflects the fact that we are headquartered in
Edmonton and our sole shareholder is the City of Edmonton. This program
contributes to Edmontonians’ quality of life and helps us attract and retain
employees.
Organizations and events we supported in 2009 included:
Cultural Support: Citadel Theatre, The Works International Visual Arts
Society, Theatre Network, Nextfest, Northern Light Theatre, Ice on Whyte
Festival.
Professional Sports: Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club, Edmonton
Eskimos Football Club.
Economic Support: Canadian Finals Rodeo, Rexall Edmonton Indy, Canadian Curling Association: Tim Horton’s Roar of The Rings, Downtown
Business Association, Capital Ex.
Education Support: Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta, University of Alberta School of Business, Cappies of Greater Edmonton, Daytrippers
Children’s Charity, Edmonton Science Outreach Network, Grant MacEwan University, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Telus World of
Science.
Social Support: United Way, Comedy Cares (Edmonton International Street Performers Festival), Boyle Street Community Services, Donate-a-Ride,
Edmonton Timeraiser.
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Community
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COMMUNITY CONSULTATION ACROSS ALBERTA AND B.C.
Water Services Community Advisory Panel (Edmonton): EPCOR places a high priority on obtaining public input and opinion into all aspects
of water service delivery. The pane/l acts as a community sounding board to advise EPCOR and provide feedback on policies and programs that have
an impact on customers and the community in general. The panel provides public, customer and stakeholder input on emerging issues, including water
efficiency, legislative and technological changes, pricing, customer care and watershed management.
Water Quality Advisory Panel (Edmonton): This panel includes representatives from EPCOR, local and provincial health boards, Alberta
Environment (the water regulator), the University of Alberta, the City of Edmonton, and regional municipalities supplied by the EPCOR drinking water
system. The panel shares information, researches water quality/treatment issues, reviews water quality standards and guidelines, and develops joint risk
management protocols. Its scope includes drinking water, watershed issues, home water treatment devices, bottled water and related health care
issues.
White Rock, B.C Community Advisory Panel: This panel meets to discuss water service delivery. EPCOR also participated in the White Rock
community through sponsorship and involvement with community events including the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, the 20th
Annual Partners in Caring Gala and the Waterfront Music Series.
French Creek, B.C. Community Advisory Panel: This panel was established with representation from local government, the French Creek
Residents' Association, environmental groups and other interested local residents and customers. It provided feedback on EPCOR’s application to
update water rates to support the cost of providing water services to residents, and maintaining and upgrading the system.
Sooke, B.C. public education campaign: EPCOR conducted a public education campaign called “Store It, Don’t Pour It” in partnership with the
District of Sooke. The campaign, which included a toxic roundup, was designed to increase public awareness to reduce the amount of fats, oils and
grease entering the wastewater collection system.
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A Storm 'Like a
Nightmare'
Who Are Our
Customers?
The Taste of Water
How Customers
Use Water
Distribution and
Transmission and
Our Customers
Energy Services
and Our Customers
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AN EYE FOR TROUBLE
Responsibility to Customers
When Jim Kennedy drives to work, he always has one eye on the weather. For most of us, a cloud or two is no big deal.
But for Jim, it could mean a dramatic change in how his workday unfolds. He is a Trouble Driver for EPCOR, and no two
shifts are ever the same.
In a 33-year career with EPCOR, Jim has seen it all. He’s
worked in some of the worst blizzards imaginable, in
temperatures many of us can’t fathom. He was one of the first
to respond in 1987 to the Black Friday tornado, an infamous
afternoon that kicked off a series of long, exhausting days for
our employees with huge outages in parts of Edmonton.
“I wouldn’t have believed Mother Nature had that much
strength,” he says of the ordeal. The weather certainly makes
his job unpredictable, but when asked to pinpoint his favourite
part of the job he says without hesitation: “The variety. No
question.”
And while the big events are the ones that get covered in the
newspaper, it’s the little ones he often remembers most. Like
responding to calls of kites tangled in power lines, cats chased
up power poles and the gratitude of people he’s helped.
“Birthday cake,” he says, has been his favourite reward so far
in what’s often a thankless job.
Some nights Jim and his partner can put 150 – 175 kilometres
on the Trouble Truck, criss-crossing the city hooking up meters,
checking streetlights and responding to minor outages. Needless to say, customers are often frustrated when he arrives,
but Jim’s easy-going personality, his ability to listen and his decades of experience are well-suited to the job.
“I wouldn’t have believed
Mother Nature had that
much strength.”
- Jim Kennedy, Trouble
Driver
“When the power went out during the Edmonton Oilers’ playoff run in ’06, we had to make friends — fast.”
And although he loves his job at EPCOR, Jim can’t help but feel anxious when the clouds roll in.
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A STORM ‘LIKE A NIGHTMARE’
July 18, 2009 was one of Edmonton’s few truly warm days of the summer. By evening, the sky began to turn ominous shades of purple and greenish-grey.
A few drops of rain fell; scattered wind gusts swayed the trees — and suddenly CRASH! A gust front sent winds howling at 110 km/h through the city. Hail
battered the streets. Trees snapped in half, knocking down power lines or becoming entangled in them. Power poles caught fire and transformers failed,
plunging parts of the city into darkness.
This weather event was one of the largest power outages in the Edmonton area’s history and the single most difficult weather-related challenge faced by
EPCOR’s Distribution and Transmission crews since the devastating 1987 tornado.
EPCOR sent out all available crews who were qualified to assist. Trevor Valckx, Power Lineman 3, and his fellow crew members were among those on the
scene. Their first job was to assess and deal with anything that posed a danger to the public, such as energized lines on the ground. “Power is a dangerous
thing,” Trevor said. “It needs to be treated with respect.”
A major obstacle
Another major obstacle was clearing away the trees tangled with power lines: “It
was like a nightmare,” said Jack Lutz, Senior Manager, Aerial and Trouble.
“We’d repair a circuit, leave to work on another, and find out a short time later
the first circuit had been tripped by another tree falling on the primary line.
The storm resulted in approximately 311,000 customer hours of interruption,
which is about what would normally be experienced in a typical full year.
Crews worked long shifts, rested, and came out for another long shift. Power
was restored across the entire city in 2½ days. There were no injuries to
employees, contractors or the public.
The earth moves
The July windstorm wasn’t the only dramatic weather event of 2009 in
Edmonton. An October cold snap caused the ground to shift, putting stress on pipes. That led to 55 water main breaks over six days, including 20 alone in
a 24-hour period. Service to thousands of customers was disrupted. Those six days accounted for about 10% of all the breaks expected in an average
year.
EPCOR called in extra crews to work in the challenging conditions. Staff provided constant updates as well as water deliveries to affected residents. The
event highlighted the value of a revised emergency response protocol, which allowed for a smooth addition of extra resources and helped the core team to
focus on water restoration.
Business continuity
Business continuity plans were executed over the year to protect employees and the company from the effects of the H1N1 virus, and seek to ensure that
the essential services of water and power would be provided reliably to customers in the event of a pandemic. EPCOR worked to educate employees about
ways to prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses such as influenza.
EPCOR’s priority is to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of power and water to customers. We have comprehensive incident report response and
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WHO ARE OUR CUSTOMERS?
More than one million people in over 75 communities, counties and large
industries across Western Canada who receive our water and wastewater
services.
Edmonton residents and businesses, which are provided power over
transmission and distribution lines that we install and maintain. In 2009,
EPCOR distributed approximately 14% of Alberta energy consumption to
approximately 300,700 residential and 34,300 commercial customers in
Edmonton.
Residential and small commercial customers within the City of Edmonton,
several Rural Electrification Association service areas and the FortisAlberta
service area who receive Regulated Rate Option electricity service. Default
supply electricity services are provided to large customers in these areas.
Residential and business customers who receive contact centre and billing services for electricity and water. These services are also provided on behalf
of the City of Edmonton Waste Management Branch and Drainage Services Branch divisions and Capital Power Corporation. In 2009, we produced an
average of 684,323 bills a month 1 compared with 663,772 in 2008. 1Some customers have multiple sites and receive more than one bill.
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THE TASTE OF WATER
A story in the Edmonton Journal said that one of the best aspects of living in
Edmonton is the taste of the city’s tap water. The article, part of a series called
“52 reasons to love Edmonton,” quoted people who have tasted tap water
around the world. The conclusion, according to the newspaper: “In Edmonton,
our tap water is delicious, safe and among the best in the world.”
One of the employees ensuring water quality is Stephen Craik, Senior Manager
of the water laboratory in EPCOR’s Quality Assurance Department. He says
EPCOR tests water quality to ensure that drinking water is produced above and
beyond minimum requirements set by Health Canada. EPCOR also has a home
sniffer program, which surveys the public annually on aesthetics such as the
water’s smell and taste.
“I’m not aware of any other municipalities that have a similar type of program,”
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HOW CUSTOMERS USE WATER
Edmonton has historically used less water than the Canadian average due to a city-wide metering program, rate setting methods and relatively short
summers. For example, in 2009 the average Edmonton family used about 223 litres per person per day compared with the Canadian average of 263 litres a
day for other large metered communities.
Rain barrel program
EPCOR encourages the use of rain barrels as a method of increasing customer awareness of their outdoor water use. Collected rain water is an
environmentally friendly choice for lawn and garden maintenance. Under the program, EPCOR pre-sold some 1,600 rain barrels that hold 200 litres and are
made of recycled Alberta plastic. They were distributed at an Eco-Yard event in Edmonton.
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DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION
AND OUR CUSTOMERS
Power distribution volumes in 2009 totalled 7.202 million megawatt hours
(MWh), almost unchanged from 7.215 million the previous year. Line losses
totalled 181,000 MWh compared with 179,000 MWh the previous year.
The overall Customer Service Index for EPCOR was 84.5% in 2009 compared
to 86.8% the previous year. This is based on a survey of customers who pay
the regulated rate and contacted Distribution and Transmission over the year.
The target is a minimum of 75%.
Reliability indicators
The number of power outages and their average duration are common reliability
indicators among utilities. For EPCOR, these indicators were higher in 2009 because of a summer storm that affected 120,000 customers. EPCOR
calculated that without the storm, its power outage rate per customer would have been 0.87 instead of the actual 1.20. The System Average Interruption
Frequency Index (SAIFI) represents the average number of interruptions that a customer would experience, calculated by dividing the total number of
customer interruptions over the course of a year by the number of customers served. Average number of power outages per customer
EPCOR customers 2009 1.20
EPCOR customers 2008 1.18
EPCOR customers 2007
1.19
Canadian urban average 2004-2009
1.29
The Customer Average Interruption Duration Index (CAIDI) gives the average outage duration that any given customer would experience. CAIDI can also be
viewed as the average restoration time.
Average length of power outages
minutes: seconds
EPCOR customers 2009
83:58
EPCOR customers 2008
48:36
EPCOR customers 2007
57:36
Canadian urban average 2004-2008
67.80
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ENERGY SERVICES AND OUR
CUSTOMERS
EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc. (EEAI) provides regulated rate option (RRO)
electricity and customer service to residential, farm and small commercial
business consumers.
Each year, two surveys are carried out by a third-party firm and reported to the
Alberta Utilities Commission. These are an overall survey based on a random
sample of all our regulated customers and a transactional survey, based on a
random sample of customers who had recently contacted EPCOR.
Survey results for 2009
Overall satisfaction: EEAI exceeded the Alberta Utilities Commission
minimum performance standard (75% customers satisfied overall) with more than 89% of customers satisfied overall. This compares with 88% satisfied
overall in 2008. Cost was the most frequently cited reason among those dissatisfied.
Transactional survey: EEAI exceeded the Alberta Utilities Commission minimum performance standard (75% customers satisfied overall) with more
than 87% of customers satisfied. This compares with 80% satisfied in 2008. Cost was the most frequently cited reason among those dissatisfied.
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We want our customers to understand their water consumption and energy use and find ways to reduce it.
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Our website – offers water efficiency and energy guides, plus tips, calculators and tools to help customers save
energy and water around their homes or small businesses. It includes a tool that provides a detailed online audit of
a customer’s home with personalized analysis and recommendations, as well as an extensive library of resources.
The annual summer conservation program advises residents on wise outdoor water use.
We recognize the importance of being energy efficient from an early age. Our online, interactive Energy Efficiency
World teaches students that you're never too young to do your part to support environmental sustainability. Web self-service
EPCOR’s new Web Self-Service application, introduced in 2009, allows customers to perform seven common transactions online. Customers can view
their account summary, request new service, transfer service, stop service, update their account information, authorize payment withdrawals and make
payment arrangements. After four months, customers had completed more than 10,000 transactions online. The goal for 2010 is to have 7% of residential transactions and 27%
of commercial transactions completed through the Web Self-Service application.
EPCOR also launched an interactive bill on its website to help power and water customers understand all the information on the bill. The site helps
customers learn about rates, fees or distribution charges, among other information.
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Electronic billing
We encourage our retail customers to save paper and postage by using an online bill delivery system operated by Canada Post. Epost allows EPCOR’s
600,000 regulated rate customers to view and pay their utility bills online, reducing the amount of paper involved in mailing bills to customers every
month. Using Epost reduces the costs associated with producing bills by about 29% per bill. By the end of 2009, we had signed up 28,841 customers,
representing a savings of 57,682 sheets of paper per month.
Customers with special needs
Customers can contact EPCOR in various ways: phone, fax, e-mail, web self-serve online services and TTY operator (text telephone) for the deaf,
hearing-impaired and those who cannot speak. EPCOR’s Contact Centre has a list of translators who can assist customers in 14 languages from
Arabic to Urdu.
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HOW THE CODE OF CONDUCT PROTECTS CUSTOMERS
Our electric utility employees must make a personal commitment to understand and follow codes that protect our electricity customers.
We operate under the Alberta Code of Conduct Regulation, which is aimed at promoting fair and orderly development of the electricity market in Alberta.
The regulation is designed to ensure fairness to customers and retailers, protect customer information and ensure proper business practices are followed.
In the same way, the EPCOR Inter-Affiliate Code of Conduct provides standards and conditions for interaction between EPCOR’s “utility” (regulated) and
“non-utility” (non-regulated) affiliates. It is designed to prevent cross-subsidization between utilities and utility affiliates, protect confidential customer
information collected in the course of providing utility service and ensure that non-utility affiliates and their customers do not have preferential access to
utility services. Meeting the Code
Our compliance plan, approved by the Alberta government’s Market Surveillance Administrator, sets out systems, policies and procedures to ensure that
EPCOR, its employees, officers, agents and contractors meet Code requirements. All our Alberta employees are required to take refresher training every
three years to ensure they understand and follow Code requirements. Employees in other jurisdictions are responsible for being familiar with the concepts
and the requirements of the Code.
All new employees are made aware of the Code requirements and the Compliance Plan when they join EPCOR. In addition, all utility employees must be
provided with compliance awareness materials and sign an acknowledgement that they agree to abide by these requirements.
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Each quarter, senior management in the areas affected must complete a management certificate indicating whether EPCOR has conducted its business in
a manner that complies with the Code. The Compliance Officer prepares a report each quarter for the Market Surveillance Administrator indicating any
identified non-compliance or complaints and the action taken. RESPONSIBILITY FOR
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Fair competition statement
Under the Code, regulated customers must be told that they are free to choose a retailer and be aware of the Fair Competition Statement:
“Electricity products and services are competitive. You are free to choose a retailer. Regulated wires services are not dependent upon the retailer you
choose. You can find a listing of licensed Alberta retailers on the Utilities Consumer Advocate (UCA) website, or call 310-4-UCA (Toll free in Alberta).”
In a formal quality assurance process, we reviewed a select number of calls made or received by our more than 150 customer service agents in Alberta.
Each agent makes or receives approximately 8,000 calls a year for a total of 1.2 million calls.
In 2009, we reviewed 9,899 calls. Of these, five were non-compliant because agents failed to provide customers with the Fair Competition Statement.
There were no incidents of non-compliance with the Fair Competition Statement for labelling (customer materials, marketing materials, and advertising).
There were also no complaints about non-compliance with the Advertising Standards Council.
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Responsibility for Ethics and Governance
EPCOR employees were challenged during 2009 to determine the “ethical thing” to do based on potential fictional
scenarios.
These scenarios dealt with issues such as the
possibility that an employee might fear
retaliation if he or she reports an ethical
concern or makes a good faith complaint. Or if
it would be all right for an employee to access
customer information to find the phone number
of somebody he or she met at a party.
Called “Integrity Minutes,” these were a series
of articles in EPCOR’s weekly internal on-line
newsletter for employees. The articles looked
at ethical issues facing employees and how
EPCOR’s policies address them. The scenario
approach was used to get employees thinking
about ethical issues they might encounter —
and how to respond to them under the
company’s policies.
Employees posted their thoughts on line — and at the end of the week the Ethics Officer or Compliance Officer offered a
response and tied the issue to EPCOR’s Compliance and Ethics Policy, and other policies.
Employees were reminded, for example, that the Compliance and Ethics Policy makes it clear that EPCOR will not allow or
pursue retaliation of any kind against any employee who reports a violation or ethics concern or makes a good faith
complaint. Similarly, the Privacy Policy for Customer Information prohibits employees from accessing customer information
for personal reasons. Customer information is strictly confidential.
A confidential 24-hour
Integrity Hotline is one of
the ways ethics
complaints and inquiries
can be raised by
employees. They can
also call an external
ethics lawyer at a
national law firm.
A confidential 24-hour Integrity Hotline is one of the ways ethics complaints and inquiries can be raised by employees.
They can also call an external ethics lawyer at a national law firm.
Complaints concerning senior management, fraud, accounting or financial reporting impropriety, or matters that would
reasonably result in a significant corporate risk are addressed under the oversight of the Ethics Committee, which includes
the Senior Vice-President, Legal & External Relations , the Senior-Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and the
Senior Vice-President, Human Resources. If a complaint involves the CEO, the CFO or the Compliance Officer, it must be
reported to the Chairman of the Board and the Chair of the Audit Committee who will oversee the investigation with the
assistance of external ethics legal counsel.
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RULES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR A RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
A sustainable business is built on high ethical standards and corporate integrity. This is an essential part of the foundation from which the company will grow
in the years ahead.
EPCOR’s Ethics Policy reinforces this principle by setting out rules and expectations intended to ensure that our business is conducted lawfully, with
integrity and in an honest, fair, and responsible manner. The policy applies to all employees and Board members. It’s a condition of employment or
appointment. Contractors are required to adhere to ethical standards and practices consistent with this policy.
The policy sets out rules for compliance, in regards to conflict of interest, confidentiality of information, fraud, theft, respectful workplace requirements and
timely, fair and accurate financial disclosure.
All active employees must take ethics training and certify compliance with the Ethics Policy every two years. In 2009 , 336 employees 1 equal to 16% of all
employees, received training. In 2010, all employees must take training and certify compliance.
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Rules for health and safety
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The Environment, Health and Safety section says: “All EPCOR operations are to be conducted in a manner that seeks to protect the health and safety of
employees and the communities in which EPCOR operates. All EPCOR employees are responsible for supporting EPCOR’s commitment to environmental
responsibility.”
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Corporate Integrity
We conduct an annual fraud risk assessment that includes various potential fraud scenarios. Fifty-five scenarios were examined in 2009. This exercise
involves input from across the company and considers all areas of our business. If we identify any gaps in our control structures during that exercise, we
develop an action plan to remediate.
EPCOR is fully compliant with legislation requiring greater corporate financial accountability. The legislation requires public issuers to follow a set of
reporting and disclosure regulations: National Instrument 52-109, established by the Canadian Securities Administrators.
Federal policy discussions
In accordance with the Federal Accountability Act, all contact with “senior public office holders” with respect to the awarding of any grant, contribution or
other financial benefit by or on behalf of the federal government is reported on a monthly basis. Some individuals within EPCOR are registered as lobbyists.
The federal lobbyist registry came into effect July 2, 2008. In 2009, EPCOR meetings with the federal government in March and May were focused on the
development of federal emissions targets for greenhouse gases. Those meetings are beyond the scope of this report, which excludes 2009 power
generation activities because of EPCOR’s fundamental restructuring in July. No other meetings were scheduled with the federal government in 2009.
Provincial and municipal policy discussions
EPCOR meetings with the Alberta government since the creation of Capital Power were primarily focused on electrical transmission policy, the Water for
Life policy and the development of a land use policy framework for Alberta. EPCOR government interaction in British Columbia after the restructuring in July
2009 was primarily at the municipal level, concerning existing water and wastewater operations in the province. Disclosure policy
Our Disclosure and Insider Trading Policy helps ensure that we maintain a high level of corporate accountability and transparency. The policy has three
goals:
To provide the market with full, true and plain disclosure of information regarding EPCOR and its subsidiary companies to allow investors to make
informed investment decisions.
To prevent insiders of EPCOR and its subsidiary companies from unfairly benefiting from inside information.
To avoid even the appearance of improper conduct on the part of anyone employed or associated with EPCOR with respect to such matters.
As part of this policy, all material prepared for investors or the public is reviewed for accuracy under the direction of Disclosure Committee, which includes
the CEO, Chief Legal Officer, and Chief Financial Officer.
1Includes all employees for 2009
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ETHICS COMPLAINTS AND
RESOLUTIONS
EPCOR’s credibility and reputation for integrity and ‘doing the right thing’ is built
on a foundation of operational excellence, strong corporate values, high ethical
standards, lawful conduct and corporate responsibility,” the Ethics Policy says.
It specifies that “any EPCOR employee found to have engaged in unethical
behaviour will be subject to discipline, up to and including suspension without
pay, immediate termination and/or prosecution.”
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RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOVERNANCE
EPCOR’s Board of Directors is charged with the responsibility to take all reasonable steps “to direct management to ensure the corporation operates at all
times within applicable laws and regulations and to the highest ethical and moral standards.”
That’s part of the Board’s Charter of Expectations. The Charter sets out the Board’s various roles, such as ensuring appropriate conduct of the organization
by oversight of financial controls and mitigation of business risks.
If EPCOR’s performance is not on target, then the Board directs management to take appropriate action. Conversely, it will also take issue if targets are set
too low, preventing us from reaching our full potential.
The Board is made up of 12 business leaders from British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, appointed by our sole Shareholder, the City of Edmonton. There
are no EPCOR employees, City employees or elected representatives on the Board.
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EPCOR’S GOVERNANCE MODEL
EPCOR’s governance model allows the company to operate as a commercial entity, grow and bring increasing value to its shareholder — the City of
Edmonton.
EPCOR’s position as a competitive company and a revenue generator is solidified by a unique agreement, established under a City bylaw when EPCOR
was created in 1996. This “Unanimous Shareholder Agreement” delegates governance to an arm’s length Board appointed by the City.
The Board does not include any members of City Council or political appointees. The agreement gives the Board the authority to manage the business and
the affairs of EPCOR. It sets the tone and boundaries of the Board’s relationship with the Shareholder — one based on integrity and trust. The Shareholder
is kept up-to-date on EPCOR's financial standing, progress and operations through quarterly meetings with the EPCOR Board and senior management. On
a more formal level, the roles of the Board and Shareholder are well delineated. For more information, see the Charter of Expectations for the Board of
Directors in the AIF , pages 46-50.
EPCOR has an open culture and management regularly gathers employee input, which helps formulate recommendations to the Board. The CEO regularly
visits EPCOR sites to discuss the company's priorities, progress and initiatives, and to hear direct feedback from employees. EPCOR has a 24-hour
Integrity Hotline for employees to raise complaints and inquiries. The resolution process is described under Responsibility for Ethics and Governance. If a
complaint involves the CEO, the CFO or the Compliance Officer, it must be reported to the Chairman of the Board and the Chair of the Audit Committee.
More Information
For additional information on EPCOR’s governance practices, please consult EPCOR’s Annual Information Form (AIF), a copy of which can be obtained
from the Corporate Secretary on request or from EPCOR’s profile on SEDAR.
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EPCOR's website may provide listing of and/or links to third party websites as a convenient information service only. EPCOR accepts no responsibility or
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Selected Financial
Information
(Consolidated)
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PERFORMANCE
Long-term sustainable financial performance is the foundation for our corporate responsibility. It
enables us to address the challenges described throughout this report, and take advantage of
opportunities to improve our environmental and social performance.
This report addresses significant events that are reflected in EPCOR’s 2009 results. These
include: Sale of our power generation business and the creation of Capital Power Corporation
Transfer of Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant to EPCOR Acquisition of potable water and wastewater facilities from Suncor “EPCOR took a one-time charge on the Capital Power transaction, but for the most part our
results were consistent with plan,” said President and CEO Don Lowry. “We have reduced
EPCOR’s investment risk profile and, going forward, are poised for growth in our regulated and
contracted water / wastewater and electricity distribution/transmission businesses.”
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HIGHLIGHTS OF EPCOR’S FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN 2009
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(Consolidated)
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Net income was $125 million on total revenues of $2.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2009 compared with net income of $175 million on
revenues of $3.4 billion for the previous year.
Cash flow from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2009 was $302 million compared with $403 million for the previous year.
Investment in capital projects and business acquisitions for the year ended December 31, 2009 was $517 million compared with $747 million for the
previous year.
Other comprehensive income was $31 million for the year ended December 31, 2009 compared with other comprehensive income of $16 million for the
previous year.
The common dividend increased to $134 million for the year ended December 31, 2009 from $130 million in the previous year.
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Pensions
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DOUBLE GOLD IN BEST WORKPLACES AWARD
Responsibility for our People
EPCOR is Alberta’s best workplace for training and development and for environmentally conscious employees, according
to Alberta Venture magazine, which handed EPCOR two awards based on a 2009 review of organizations.
“You can’t live in Edmonton most of your life and not be aware
of EPCOR Utilities Inc. and its green initiatives in North
America,” the magazine wrote.
The Best Workplace for the Environmentally Conscious award
recognized EPCOR because “employees make regular
contributions in the design and implementation of green
initiatives in water, wastewater and power usage in North
America.”
Chantel Rompfer, EPCOR Technical Writing Advisor, explained
in the Venture write-up how EPCOR shares her environmental
consciousness. Chantel has been involved in creating training
and development material for employees, including energy
efficiency tips for conserving water and power.
“If you educate your own employees on energy efficiency, then
of course it’s something they’ll talk about to their friends and
family,” she said. “Seeing our own company leaders focusing
on the environment and talking with us causes us to feel
empowered and comfortable to take a leadership role and look
at green initiatives.”
The Best Workplace for Training and Development nod
recognized EPCOR’s “best practices,” including offering “nocost skills development and management courses, two
“Seeing our own
company leaders
focusing on the
environment and talking
with us causes us to feel
empowered and
comfortable to take a
leadership role and look
at green initiatives.”
- Chantel Rompfer,
EPCOR Technical
Writing Advisor
leadership development programs and four orientation programs.”
“If you step up and say, ‘I want to develop into this role and want to learn more about this,’ EPCOR is very supportive of
that and very keen on growing its own people,” said Chantel, who has taken Essential Leadership training through the
EPCOR School of Business.
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REPORTING ON OUR PEOPLE PRACTICES
Our ability to grow successfully and sustainably depends on how well we attract and retain the right people, operate existing assets and maintain credibility
with stakeholders. It begins with people. We want employees who share in our vision and values — and leaders who set an example.
We encourage our more than 2,300 active employees across Canada to excel and make a difference. In return, we offer them an organization designated
as one of Alberta’s Top 50 employers, an award by Mediacorp recognizing companies that “lead their industries in offering exceptional places to work.”
Benefits benchmarked
Our employees receive benefits that are benchmarked against our industry
peers to maintain EPCOR’s competitive position in attracting and retaining
employees. The program provides flexible benefits (health and dental plan),
company-paid disability coverage and an EPCOR savings plan. Although
temporary employees are not eligible for these specific benefits, they receive
employee orientation and safety training, and may be eligible to take companyfunded career development training to enhance their skills and prospects of
advancing to permanent status.
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EPCOR’s School of Business is designed to support succession of
employees into increasingly senior roles.
In 2009, a new base pay system was applied across all non-union and
management employees to ensure internal consistency and appropriate
external salary benchmarking.
The Organizational Design initiative started in 2009 strives to ensure that all positions in the company are challenging and rewarding and includes a
diligent matching process to align compatible people to positions.
EPCOR also provides our people with tools to help them bring balance to their lives including personal leave days, compressed work schedules, a
scheduled days off program, access to a wellness account and an employee and family assistance program.
EPCOR does not by policy have a preference for local hiring . We look for the most qualified people best able to do the job and grow with the company.
However, the majority of people we hire are from the local community where the job posting is situated. EPCOR’s Recruitment and Sourcing team
works to develop creative and targeted approaches to find the best talent with the best company fit.
People challenges
Large numbers of our employees are expected to retire over the next few years. In addition, competition for skilled labour, especially in Alberta and British
Columbia, remains high. To mitigate this risk, EPCOR has focused considerable attention on attracting and retaining people. Through a redesign process
we’ve set up systems that will enable us to do better workforce planning to anticipate current and future labour requirements. In addition, we are focused
on continually improving our safety and environmental performance, which is a key to attracting and retaining people.
Respect
We strive to ensure a supportive and respectful work environment for all. Employees must be treated fairly and have equal opportunity to thrive
and achieve their potential. All employees are covered by the EPCOR Compliance and Ethics Policy .
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COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS AND PENSIONS
EPCOR enjoys strong working relations with its six labour unions and has not experienced labour disruption since 1978. Collective agreements cover
76.6% of employees. Bargaining has been completed with one of the Edmonton-based bargaining units resulting in a collective agreement that will
expire in December 2012.
Collective agreements with the five other unions, including two based in Edmonton, two located elsewhere in Alberta and one based in British Columbia
are in force with expiry dates in December 2010. EPCOR employees are either members of the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP) or other defined contribution or defined benefit plans.
Over 90% of our employees are members of the LAPP, an Alberta-based, multi-employer defined benefits plan. The amount of contributions made by
employers and employees is determined by the LAPP, which is independently governed. Since LAPP is a multi-employer plan, it is accounted for as a
defined contribution plan. Accordingly, EPCOR does not recognize its share of any surplus or deficit.
EPCOR maintains additional defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans to provide pension benefits to those employees (comprising less
than 10% of total employees) who are not otherwise served by LAPP, including employees of new or acquired operations.
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GENDER DIVERSITY AND PAY EQUITY
EPCOR has 1,604 male employees and 734 female employees. Historically, EPCOR has not tracked or managed employee pay from a gender equity
perspective.
Compensation for unionized employees is set out in collective agreements. Employees with satisfactory job performance receive increasing wages based on
the duration of their employment. As a result, we believe the collective agreements provide for equitable treatment for unionized employees within the same
job classification, regardless of gender.
Entry level management: 79 men and 47 women, with female employees earning an average of $87 for every $100 earned by male employees.
Middle management: 80 men and 38 women, with female employees earning an average of $95 for every $100 earned by male employees.
Senior management: 24 men and 12 women, with female employees earning an average of $102 for every $100 earned by male employees.
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Building a ZeroInjury Culture
Safety
Achievements
Safety Record
A SHOCKING STORY
Responsibility for Safety
John Connors zaps hot dogs for a living.
He’s not the guy you’ll find on a downtown street selling hot
dogs out of a portable steam cart. In fact, you really wouldn’t
want to eat one of John’s hot dogs.
They have been zapped — some might say exploded — with
4,000 lethal volts of electricity. The results are shocking!
John does this feat before audiences of firefighters and other
emergency responders, contractors, EPCOR employees, and
at public events. He talks about the need to always know where
power lines are when working or playing near them, safe
distances from power lines, downed power lines, and keeping
children safe. As a finale, John spears a wiener on the end of a
long, insulated pole and touches it to a live wire atop a mobile
rig specially designed for the demonstration.
A flash, a sizzle — and goodbye hot dog.
“This shows you exactly what can happen when you make
contact with live electrical wires or equipment,” says John,
Health and Safety Advisor with EPCOR Distribution and
Transmission. “Our goal is to educate people about the hidden
dangers of electricity and audiences tell me they learn a lot
from these presentations.
“It’s part of our commitment to safety for all.”
“Our prime focus at
EPCOR will always be
sending people home at
the end of the day, safe
and sound — no
excuses.”
- Doreen Cole, Senior
Vice President,
Electricity Services
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Building a ZeroInjury Culture
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Safety Record
WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A ZERO-INJURY CULTURE
When you’re in the business of providing essential services such as power and water, one single misstep can be fatal.
Distribution and Transmission employees work with live wires — maintaining
electrical service to the public — when most repairs and upgrades are made.
Water Service employees deal with hazardous chemicals, unstable trenches,
confined spaces, and many other potential dangers.
All employees face the hazards of trips, slips, strains from trying to lift heavy
objects, and repetitive stress injuries.
“Safety must be foremost in our minds at all times,” Doreen Cole, Senior Vice
President, Electricity Services, said in an address to the Conference Board of
Canada’s National Leaders Forum on Health and Safety.
“In many ways, it’s a matter of trust between employers and the people they
employ or contract. By truly valuing our employees, companies can make the
most effective use of peoples’ talents and earn a reputation as an excellent and
safe employer. Safe sites attract workers and companies that pursue an
integrated safety culture across all their sites will reap the benefit of a
competitive advantage.”
Doreen stressed that improving safety requires positive changes in the attitudes, practices, skills and knowledge of employees and leaders.
“It requires a long-term commitment from leadership, along with the resources and ethical fortitude to back it up. I will do anything I can to make it happen.”
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EPCOR recognized the safety achievements of employees in areas across the company in 2009:
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The Rossdale and E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plants marked four years without a lost-time incident (LTI).
Transportation Services marked one year without a lost-time incident.
Energy Services celebrated one million employee hours worked without a lost-time incident.
By December 31, 2009, meter readers, who are exposed to the hazards of slippery walks, aggressive dogs, and extreme heat and cold, had gone for
2½ years without a lost-time incident.
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Building a ZeroInjury Culture
Safety
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Safety Record
EPCOR’s southern Alberta employees, who operate water and wastewater treatment plants, gained a new perspective on workplace injuries thanks to a
Safety Heroes program that originated in EPCOR’s British Columbia locations. At the heart of the events in seven communities were presentations by
Kathleen Higgins, whose son experienced a life-altering spinal cord injury 10 years ago as a result of unsafe work practices with another organization.
The E.L. Smith plant’s sodium hypochlorite generation system, which eliminates the need for transporting hazardous chlorine to the site was recognized for
the reducing the risk to the public and for environmental safety. The Consulting Engineers of Alberta cited the project’s use of “leading-edge technology to
provide a safe working environment . . . and eliminate the risks associated with gaseous chlorine to the neighbouring residents.”
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Comparisons with previous years are included for the record. However, 2009 data excludes power generation employees and one-third of the corporate
services employees. They moved to Capital Power as a result of the sale of the power generation business in July 2009.
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EPCOR
2009
2008
2007
Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) 3.09
2.34
3.63
Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF) 0.45
0.19
0.94
Lost Time Injury Severity (LTIS)
8.77 1.82 8.13
Restricted Work Severity (RWS) 53.10
34.16
78.91
Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) Group II (301-2,300
emp.)
2009
2008
2007
Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF)
2.03 2.36
3.63
Lost Time Injury Frequency (LTIF)
0.47 0.52
0.55
Lost Time Injury Severity (LTIS)
9.87 15.23
9.55
Restricted Work Severity (RWS)
11.06 18.11
19.90
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Building a ZeroInjury Culture
Safety
Achievements
Safety Record
Frequency rates are calculated by multiplying the number of incidents by 200,000 hours. 200,000 hours is an industry standard and equals 100 employees
working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year. The result is then divided by the hours worked (exposure hours).
EPCOR’s 2009 health and safety performance record declined overall in 2009 from the previous year. The number of lost-time injuries, for example,
increased to nine compared with five in 2008.
The previous year, 2008, had been one of the best on record for safety — and EPCOR has put plans into action to raise safety performance to that level,
and higher.
EPCOR believes that no injury is acceptable. EPCOR’s first concern must always be on sending employees home at the end of the day safe and sound —
no excuses — and protecting the public. That means no compromise on safety, even if it means taking longer to get a project completed.
Actions to improve performance
The safety focus brought in new programs in all areas of the company. In Distribution and Transmission, for example, the GEM ("going the extra mile")
program recognizes employees for their extraordinary work to create and maintain a safe work environment. A program called “SHARP” (safety and
health achievement recognition program) recognizes and celebrates employees’ achievement of specific safety targets.
In 2009, EPCOR merged the Health and Safety and the Environment departments to increase synergies between the two areas. EPCOR is planning to
implement an integrated health, safety and environment management system to align with the OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 systems.
EPCOR also initiated a major push towards a safer office environment, looking at the potential for trips and slips and repetitive stress injuries, among
other factors. The focus was on making employees more aware of workplace dangers and taking corrective actions where necessary. There was a
similar focus on outdoor work in winter with instruction on how to avoid injuries in snowy or icy conditions.
Company policy, programs, and procedures cover topics such as maximum hours of work and required safety training. We supply employees with
required personal safety equipment, or subsidize them for their purchases. Ongoing safety training is mandatory for employees in most field or operating
positions. Crews may hold daily safety planning meetings, depending on the nature and risk of their work. Various joint manager-worker safety
committees function in these operational areas. The percentage of the total workforce represented in management-employee health and safety
committees is not tracked.
All contractors and sub-contractors working on EPCOR sites must meet our safety standards. We believe in working with contractors that demonstrate
strong health and safety work practices.
Litigation update
On March 20, 2009, EPCOR was charged under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Safety Code in relation to the 2007 fatality
of a power lineman employee who came in contact with energized equipment at a job site in south Edmonton.
The charge under the Act relates to failure to ensure, as far as it was reasonably practicable to do so, the health and safety of the employee. The three
charges under the Code relate to safe work plan provisions, Alberta Electric Utility Code rules and work process safeguards with respect to energized
electrical cables. We have entered not guilty pleas on all charges. The matter has been set down for trial for May 25, 2011 – June 7, 2011. Each charge
could attract a fine of up to $500,000 upon conviction.
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REPORT OVERVIEW
This is EPCOR’s second Corporate Responsibility Report. It is issued in
accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. We believe we
have achieved an “A+” level of reporting under the guidelines.
Objective
Our objective is to report openly on the impacts our business has on the
environment and on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders,
communities and other stakeholders. This report represents the continuation of
our search for methods of improving our non-financial reporting to meet
changing expectations of corporate accountability, responsibility and
sustainability. It results from an extensive process that started in 2007 when a corporate responsibility team reviewed reporting guidelines and best
practices. The team identified potential measures, consulted with stakeholders respecting their priorities and recommended the specific measures and
content of this report.
Public disclosure
EPCOR has a long tradition of public disclosure of its environmental impacts and a commitment to transparency. For example, our water plants that operate
under the Performance Based Regulation (PBR) rate structure issue detailed reports to the public every year that include water quality reports, any
substances detected in tap water, water use and system reliability. Additional information is contained in EPCOR’s Annual Information Form .
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SCOPE OF REPORT
This report provides a snapshot of information on EPCOR Utilities Inc. (EPCOR), its operating companies, strategies, plans and environmental, social and
financial impacts as of December 31, 2009. Cumulative data, unless otherwise noted, reflects the 12-month period ending December 31, 2009.
EPCOR operates at both owned facilities and contract-operated facilities. In 2009, EPCOR operated in Alberta and British Columbia in Canada. Full
reporting data are not available for contract-operated facilities or leased facilities because the terms of the contract or lease. In addition, this report does not
cover outsourced work or suppliers, except as noted.
Except as indicated, this report does not include information on production, greenhouse gas emissions, reclamation, biodiversity and other matters
related to our previously owned power generation activities, or power generation employees. In early July 2009, EPCOR sold substantially all of its
power generation assets and related operations to Capital Power Corporation . See EPCOR’s fundamental restructuring for more information on this
transaction.
The restructuring impacted the overall size and scope of EPCOR, although our operating areas — Water Services, Distribution and Transmission and
Energy Services — were largely unaffected. Readers should be aware that this restructuring impacted some year-to-year comparative numbers, such
as employee statistics.
In this report, use of the present and future tenses, except as otherwise noted, refers to EPCOR, its operations, strategies and plans as they existed on
December 31, 2009.
In this report, the use of “EPCOR” includes EPCOR Utilities Inc. and its subsidiaries.
EPCOR's primary operating subsidiaries
EPCOR Water Services Inc. (EWSI): EWSI provides water and wastewater services to the greater Edmonton region and to communities and
industry across Western Canada.
EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc. (EDTI): EDTI operates electric power transmission systems, controls the transmission of electricity
(i.e. regulating voltages) and distributes it to consumers.
EPCOR Energy Alberta Inc. (EEAI): EEAI provides regulated rate electricity service to residential, farm and small commercial business
consumers within the City of Edmonton, the FortisAlberta service area, and 12 Rural Electrification Associations. EEAI provides customer care
(including call centre and billing services) for EPCOR companies (including water, natural gas, and electricity). EEAI also provides default supply
electricity service to consumers in the City of Edmonton and in the FortisAlberta service area.
Third-party assurance
For third-party assurance concerning aspects of this report, we engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). PwC reviewed the methodologies, data
collection and analysis processes used in compiling certain data for this report. See PwC’s Independent Assurance Report , which identifies the specific
performance indicators they reviewed and their conclusion, along with a brief description of their review process.
Reporting cycle
EPCOR plans to report on its corporate responsibility perspectives on an annual basis. The 2009 report is exclusively online.
Comments and questions
We welcome your comments and questions. Please email us or write to:
EPCOR Corporate Relations
10065 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3B1
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EPCOR'S FUNDAMENTAL RESTRUCTURING
On July 9, 2009 , EPCOR sold substantially all of its power generation assets and related operations, including its
30.6% interest in Capital Power Income L.P. (formerly EPCOR Power L.P) to Capital Power Corporation.
The transaction followed the completion of an Initial Public Offering of common shares of Capital Power. Following
the transaction, EPCOR held a 72% economic interest in Capital Power L.P. EPCOR plans to eventually sell all or
a substantial portion of its ownership interest, subject to market conditions, its requirements for capital and other
circumstances that may arise in the future.
Capital Power and its subsidiaries are now responsible for EPCOR’s former portfolio of approximately 3,500
megawatts (MW) of owned and/or operated power generation capacity at 31 facilities in Canada and the United
States.
EPCOR continues to provide regulated electricity transmission and distribution, and water and wastewater services to more than one million people in
Western Canada.
Benefits from the restructuring
EPCOR has access to capital to finance sustained growth through the gradual sell-down of its interest in Capital Power.
EPCOR receives Capital Power cash distributions.
Capital Power has access to equity capital to finance sustained growth.
As EPCOR’s interest in Capital Power is divested over time, EPCOR’s risk portfolio will be shifted to more stable regulated and contracted
businesses, helping to maintain Shareholder returns.
EPCOR can focus exclusively on water /wastewater and electricity distribution and transmission. Capital Power can focus exclusively on power
generation and related services.
Both companies have head offices in Edmonton. The City of Edmonton and EPCOR have a veto over Capital Power ever moving.
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FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION
Certain information in this Corporate Responsibility Report is forward-looking within the meaning of Canadian securities laws as it is related to anticipated
financial performance, events or strategies. When used in this context, words such as “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “intend,” “target,” and “expect” or
similar words suggest future outcomes.
The primary forward-looking information in this report comprises: (i) expectations regarding future company growth, investment in smart grid technologies
and operating plans and (ii) the company plans to eventually sell all or a substantial portion of its ownership interest in Capital Power, subject to market
conditions, its requirements for capital and other circumstances that may arise.
These statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by EPCOR in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current
conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate. The material factors and assumptions underlying this forwardlooking information include, but are not limited to: (i) the operation of EPCOR’s facilities; (ii) EPCOR’s assessment of commodity and power markets; (iii)
EPCOR’s assessment of the markets and regulatory environments in which it operates; (iv) availability and cost of labour and management resources; (v)
performance of contractors and suppliers; (vi) availability and cost of financing; (vii) proposed environmental regulations will be implemented; and (viii)
ability to implement strategic initiatives which will yield the expected benefits.
Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to EPCOR’s expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown
risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from EPCOR’s expectations. Such risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, risks relating to: (i) operation of EPCOR’s facilities; (ii) unanticipated maintenance and other expenditures; (iii) availability and
price of energy commodities; (iv) regulatory and government decisions including changes to environmental legislation; (v) economic conditions; (vi)
competitive pressures; (vii) construction; (viii) availability and cost of financing; (ix) availability of labour and management resources; and (x) performance of
counterparties, partners, contractors and suppliers in fulfilling their obligations to EPCOR.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as actual results could differ materially from the plans, expectations,
estimates or intentions expressed in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, EPCOR disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation
to update any forward-looking statement.
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INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE REPORT
To the Board of Directors and Management of EPCOR Utilities Inc. (“EPCOR”)
We have reviewed selected quantitative performance indicators (the “Subject Matter”) presented in EPCOR’s Corporate Responsibility Report (the “Report”)
for the year ended December 31, 2009. We did not review all information included in the Report.
View this document as a PDF.
Subject Matter
We reviewed the following consolidated 2009 quantitative performance indicators as set out in the Report, and Attachment A, which comprise the Subject
Matter:
Total community support Carbon footprint Reportable environmental releases Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Employee injury frequency rates: Total recordable injury frequency (TRIF)
Lost time injury frequency (LTIF) Employee statistics
We also reviewed EPCOR’s self-declaration of the level of reporting achieved under the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines.
The indicators comprising the Subject Matter were chosen by EPCOR primarily on the basis of perceived external stakeholder interest. We did not review
the narrative sections of the Report, except where they incorporated the Subject Matter.
Responsibilities
EPCOR management is responsible for collection and presentation of the Subject Matter. Our responsibility is to express a conclusion, based on our
assurance procedures, as to whether anything has come to our attention to suggest that the Subject Matter is not presented fairly in accordance with the
relevant criteria.
Methodology & Assurance Procedures
We conducted our work in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3000, “Assurance Engagements Other than
Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information”, issued by the International Federation of Accountants. As such, we planned and performed our work
in order to provide limited assurance with respect to the Subject Matter.
We obtained and evaluated evidence using a variety of procedures including:
Interviewing relevant EPCOR management and staff responsible for data collection and reporting
Obtaining an understanding of the management systems, processes, and controls used to generate, aggregate and report the data
Reviewing relevant documents and records on a sample basis
Testing and re-calculating quantitative information related to the selected performance indicators on a sample basis
Assessing the information collected for completeness, accuracy, validity and consistency
Our evidence-gathering procedures were more limited than required for a reasonable assurance engagement and, consequently, we do not express an
audit opinion on the Subject Matter.
We carried out our work on the selected performance indicators at EPCOR’s head office in Edmonton, Alberta.
Our assurance criteria comprised the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (2006), industry standards, and EPCOR’s internal
management definitions as disclosed in the Report, informed by relevant regulations in the areas of operation.
Our assurance team included individuals with backgrounds and experience in providing assurance on environment, health and safety, social and economic
information.
Conclusion
Based on our work as described in this report, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the Subject Matter is not, in all material
respects, reported in accordance with the relevant criteria.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Edmonton, Canada
October 1, 2010
Attachment A: EPCOR 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report
All figures for the year ending December 31, 2009
GRI Reference
EC1 Performance Indicator
Total community support
2009 Value
Notes
$2.6 million
Includes programs, activities and sponsorships.
The indicator is reported in a manner consistent with EPCOR’s
financial reporting principles and includes support that may be
associated with previously owned power generation activities.
EN 16
Carbon footprint
183,898 tonnes
CO2 equivalent
Includes direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions. Data
is for operations owned by EPCOR. Exceptions include oil
sands operations acquired by EPCOR in late 2009, several
contract-operated facilities, and 16% of company fleet for which
fuel information was not available.
Includes only releases that meet or exceed the criteria for
reporting as set out in the applicable provincial and federal
regulations. 2009 reportable environmental releases included 9 releases to
air, 16 releases to land, 6 releases to water.
EN23 Reportable environmental
releases
31
EN28 Monetary value of significant
fines and total number of nonmonetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental
laws and regulations Zero
LA1
Full time permanent employees
Part time permanent employees
Full time temporary employees
Part time temporary employees
Full time provisional employees
Casual employees
Total employees
2,164
93
63
3
7
8
2,338
As at December 31, 2009
0.45
Frequency rates are calculated by multiplying the number of
incidents by 200,000 hours. 200,000 hours is an industry
standard base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per
week for 50 weeks per year. The result is then divided by the
hours worked (exposure hours). Data excludes power
generation employees and one-third of the corporate services
employees who were moved to Capital Power as a result of the
sale of the power generation business in July 2009.
3.09
Frequency rates are calculated by multiplying the number of
incidents by 200,000 hours. 200,000 hours is an industry
standard base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per
week for 50 weeks per year. The result is then divided by the
hours worked (exposure hours). Data excludes power
generation employees and one-third of the corporate services
employees who were moved to Capital Power as a result of the
sale of the power generation business in July 2009.
LA7 LA7 Lost Time Injury Frequency
(LTIF)
Total Recordable Injury
Frequency (TRIF)
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REPORT OVERVIEW
Scope of Report
EPCOR's
Restructuring
Forward Looking
Information
Independent
Assurance Report
Glossary
Affiliations
GLOSSARY, UNITS OF MEASUREMENT AND ABBREVIATIONS
Some terms are defined in the context of EPCOR’s operations and are commonly used and accepted by industry. Other terms are defined terms in
accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) documentation or by regulations.
Carbon dioxide
Abbreviated as CO2. In the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that affects the Earth’s temperature.
Carbon dioxide equivalent (also CO2e or CO2 equivalent)
Used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases based on their global warming potential (GWP). The CO2 equivalent for a gas is derived by
multiplying the tonnes of the gas by the associated GWP.
Cubic meter (m3)
Metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 1,000 litres.
Direct energy consumption
Consumption of primary energy sources such as coal, gasoline, diesel by the reporting organization for its own use. (Indicators Protocol Set: Environment;
Global Reporting Initiative, 2009) Indirect energy consumption
Consumption of energy such as electricity purchased from sources external to the reporting organization. (Indicators Protocol Set: Environment; Global
Reporting Initiative, 2009) Lost-time injury
Recorded when a worker misses work beyond the date of injury as a direct result of an occupational injury/illness incident.
Recordable injury
Any occupational injury/illness that results in: a fatality; a lost-time injury; an injury/illness requiring medical treatment; or other injury that involves a
significant occupational injury/illness, one that results in restricted/modified work or loss of consciousness. Restricted/modified work
Work in a modified or restricted capacity due to a work-related injury/illness. Recorded when the employee is medically determined to be unable to perform
one or more of his or her routine functions, or is unable to work the same amount of time as before their injury or illness. Routine functions are the work
activities that the employee regularly performs at least once a week. Lost-time injury frequency
The number of lost-time injuries experienced by an employer in a specified time period. The frequency is calculated by multiplying the number of lost-time
injuries by 200,000 hours (a widely-accepted industry standard base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year) and then
dividing that number by the hours worked (exposure hours). Lost-time injury severity
The number of calendar days that the employee is unable to work beyond the day of injury/illness. Lost time ends when the employee is deemed fit to work
full-time by a physician or health care professional or goes on restricted work, or after 180 calendar days. Megalitres (ML)
One million litres. Megawatt (MW)
A unit of power equal to 1 million watts.
Megawatt hour (MWh)
One megawatt-hour represents one hour of electricity production (or consumption) at a constant rate of 1 MW. Watt
A measure of power. For example, a 40-watt light bulb uses 40 watts of electricity.
Stakeholder
Stakeholders are defined broadly as those groups or individuals: (a) that can reasonably be expected to be significantly affected by the organization’s
activities, products, and/or services; or (b) whose actions can reasonably be expected to affect the ability of the organization to successfully implement its
strategies and achieve its objectives. (GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines & Electric Utility Sector Supplement.)
Total recordable injury frequency
The number of recordable injuries experienced by an employer in a specified time period. The frequency is calculated by multiplying the number of
recordable injuries by 200,000 hours (200,000 hours is a widely-accepted industry standard base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per week for
50 weeks per year) and then dividing that number by the hours worked (exposure hours).
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REPORT OVERVIEW
REPORT OVERVIEW
Scope of Report
EPCOR's
Restructuring
Forward Looking
Information
Independent
Assurance Report
Glossary
Affiliations
AFFILIATIONS
Organizations that EPCOR is affiliated with include:
Alberta Electric Utility Safety Association
Alberta Industrial Heartland Association
Alberta Power Industry Consortium
Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association
Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
Alberta Water Council
American Water Works Association
Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship
Bow River Basin Council
Calgary Chamber of Commerce
Canada West Foundation
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (associate member)
Canadian Chamber of Commerce, as well as local and provincial Chambers of Commerce
Canadian Electricity Association
Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships
Canadian Water and Wastewater Association
Clearwater Landcare
Conference Board of Canada
Construction Owners Association of Alberta
Council of Industrial Boiler Owners
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
Edmonton Downtown Business Association
Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence
Environmental Services Association of Alberta
International Association of Public Participation
Joint Utility Safety Team
North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance
Oil Sands Developers Group
Partnerships in Injury Reduction Partners in Road Construction Safety
Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative
Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada
Recycling Council of Alberta
Strathcona Industrial Association
Tsulquate River Watershed Working Group (Port Hardy)
Volunteer Canada
Water Reuse Association
Waterlution
Western Canada Water
Western Canada Utilities Waste Management Consortium
Western Canadian Auditing Roundtable
Terms of Use : Compliance & Ethics : Privacy Policy
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MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
MEASURING
PERFORMANCE
Environmental
Indicators
Social and
Economic
Indicators
GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE INDEX
GRI is a network-based organization that developed the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework. The reporting framework is developed
through a consensus-seeking process with participants drawn globally from business, civil society, labour, and professional institutions. EPCOR has applied
the GRI framework to report on its environmental, economic, and social performance.
The following tables show the location of EPCOR’s responses to the GRI performance indicators. Most responses are contained within EPCOR 2009
Corporate Responsibility Report. Other responses are found within existing EPCOR data on its website, in the annual report and in its Annual Information
Form. Links in the right-hand column will take you to the appropriate location.
VISION AND STRATEGY
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
1.1
Statement from the most senior decision-maker about the relevance of
sustainability to the organization and its strategy
President's Message
1.2
Description of key impacts, risks, and opportunities
President's Message ,
AIF (pp. 5-17)
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
2.1
Name of the organization
EPCOR Utilities Inc.
(EPCOR)
2.2
Primary brands, products, and/or services
Annual Report , AIF (pp.
6-11)
2.3
Operational structure of the organization, including main divisions, operating
companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures
Annual Report , AIF (pp.
5-11)
2.4
Location of organization’s headquarters
10065 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3B1
2.5
Number of countries where the organization operates, and names of countries
with either major operations or that are specifically relevant to the sustainability
issues covered in the report
Canada
2.6
Nature of ownership and legal form
Annual Report , AIF (p. 5)
2.7
Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types of
customers/beneficiaries)
Annual Report , AIF (pp.
5-11), Customer
Responsibility
2.8
Scale of the reporting organization, including: number of employees; net sales;
and total capitalization broken down in terms of debt and equity, and quantity of
products or services provided
People , Social Data ,
Environment Data ,
Annual Report , AIF (p.
11)
2.9
Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure or
ownership, including: the location of, or changes in operations, including facility
openings, closings, and expansions; and changes in the share capital structure
President's
Message , Overview
2.10
Awards received in the reporting period
People , Annual Report
REPORT PARAMETERS
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
3.1
Reporting period for information provided
January 1-December 31,
2009, unless otherwise
noted
3.2
Date of most recent previous report
2008
3.3
Reporting cycle
Annual
3.4
Contact point for questions about the report or its contents.
10065 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3B1
crr@epcor.ca
3.5
Process for defining report content, including: determining materiality; prioritizing
topics within the report; and identifying stakeholders the organization expects to
use the report. Overview
Report Scope and Boundary
3.6
Boundary of the report (e.g., countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased facilities,
joint ventures, suppliers).
Overview
3.7
Any specific limitations on the scope or boundary of the report.
Overview
3.8
Scale of the reporting organization, including: number of employees; net sales;
and total capitalization broken down in terms of debt and equity, and quantity of
products or services provided
Overview
Data measurement techniques and the bases of calculations, including
3.9
assumptions and techniques underlying estimations applied to the compilation of
the Indicators and other information in the report
Glossary , Environment
Data Notes
Overview
3.10
Explanation of the effect of any re-statements of information provided in earlier
reports, and the reasons for such re-statement (e.g., mergers/acquisitions,
change of base years/periods, nature of business, measurement methods)
Restated Data:
IUCN Red List Species ,
2008 Disconnections ,
Political Contributions
3.11
Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, boundary, or
measurement methods applied in the report.
Overview
3.12
Table identifying the location of the Standard Disclosures in the report.
Current Table
3.13
Policy and current practice with regard to seeking external assurance for the
report.
Overview, Independent
Assurance Report
GOVERNANCE, COMMITMENTS AND ENGAGEMENT
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
4.1
Governance structure of the organization, including committees under the highest
governance body responsible for specific tasks, such as setting strategy or
organizational oversight.
Ethics and Governance,
Social Data , AIF (pp. 1926)
4.2
Indicate whether the Chair of the highest governance body is also an executive
officer The Chairman is not an
executive officer. 4.3
For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number of
members of the highest governance body that are independent and/or nonexecutive members. State how the organization defines independent and nonexecutive.
Social Data , AIF (p. 24)
4.4
Mechanisms for shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or
direction to the highest governance body (e.g., shareholder resolutions).
Ethics and
Governance, AIF (pp. 4650)
4.5
Linkage between compensation for members of the highest governance body,
senior managers and executives and the organizations performance
AIF (pp. 26-40)
4.6
Processes in place for the highest governance body to ensure conflicts of interest
are avoided.
AIF (pp. 24-26)
4.7
Process for determining the qualifications and expertise of the members of the
highest governance body for guiding the organization’s strategy on economic,
environmental and social topics
AIF (pp. 24-26)
4.8
Internally developed statements of mission or values, codes of conduct, and
principles relevant to economic, environmental, and social performance and the
status of their implementation.
President's Message ,
Water , Wastewater ,
Distribution and
Transmission , People ,
Safety , Safety 2 ,
Communities , Ethics
4.9
Procedures of the highest governance body for overseeing the organization’s
identification and management of economic, environmental, and social
performance, including relevant risks and opportunities, and adherence or
compliance with internationally agreed standards, etc.
AIF (pp. 41-50)
4.10
Process for evaluating the highest governance body's own performance,
particularly with respect to economic, environmental, and social performance.
AIF (pp. 41-50)
4.11
Explanation of whether and how the precautionary approach or principle is
addressed by the organization.
Social Data
Distribution and
Transmission ,
Customers , Communities
4.12
Externally developed economic, environmental, and social charters, principles, or
other initiatives to which the organization subscribes or endorses.
4.13
Memberships in associations and/or national/international advocacy organizations. Overview
4.14
List of stakeholder groups engaged by the organization.
Customers , Communities
4.15
Basis for identification and selection of stakeholders with whom to engage. Overview, Communities
4.16
Approaches to stakeholder engagement
Overview, Communities
4.17
Key topics and concerns that have been raised through stakeholder engagement,
and how the organization has responded to those key topics and concerns.
Communities
DISCLOSURES ON MANAGEMENT APPROACH
GRI #
5
Disclosure
Location
Overviews of management approach to economic performance, environmental
aspects, labour practices, society, human rights and product responsibility.
President’s message and
in each section
throughout
report, AIF (pp. 5-17),
Annual Report
ELECTRIC UTILITY INDICATORS (EU)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
EU1
Installed capacity: amount of power in MW an entity can produce.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU2
Net energy output of power generation.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU3
Number of residential, industrial and commercial customer accounts.
Customers , Social Data
EU4
Length of above and underground transmission and distribution lines.
Environment Data
EU5
Allocation of CO2e emissions allowances.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU6
Management approach to ensure short- and long-term electricity reliability and
availability.
Distribution and
Transmission
EU7
Demand side management programs.
Distribution and
Transmission
EU8
R&D activity and expenditure aimed at providing reliable electricity and promoting
sustainable development.
Social Data
EU9
Provisions for decommissioning nuclear power plants.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU10
Planned capacity against projected electricity demand over the long term.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU11
Capacity of thermal generating plants.
Not applicable. EPCOR is
not a power generator.
EU12
Distribution and Transmission losses as % of total energy.
Environment Data
EU13
Biodiversity of offset habitats compared to the biodiversity of the affected areas.
Not applicable. EPCOR
does not use offset
habitats.
EU14
Programs and processes to ensure the availability of a skilled workforce.
People
EU15
Percentage of employees eligible to retire in 10 years broken down by job
category.
Social Data
EU16
Policies and requirements regarding health and safety of employees and
employees of contractors and subcontractors.
Safety
EU17
Days worked by contractor and subcontractor employees involved in construction,
operation and maintenance activities.
Social Data
EU18
Percentage of contractor and subcontractor employees who have undergone
relevant health and safety training.
Not available. All
contractors and
subcontractors working
on our sites must have
safely policies and
practices consistent with
EPCOR’s.
EU19
Stakeholder participation in the decision-making process related to energy
planning and infrastructure development
Communities
EU20
Approach to managing the impacts of displacement.
Social Data
EU21
Contingency planning measures disaster/emergency management plan and
training programs, and recovery/restoration plans.
Customers
EU22
Number of people physically or economically displaced and compensation, broken
down by type of project.
Social Data
EU23
Programs, including those in partnership with government, to improve or maintain
access to electricity and customer support services.
Customers
EU24
Practices to address language, cultural, low literacy and disability-related barriers
to accessing and safely using electricity and customers support services.
Customers
EU25
Number of injuries and fatalities to the public involving company assets.
Social Data
EU26
Percentage of population unserved in licensed distribution areas.
Not available. EPCOR
has no knowledge of the
population percentage
unserved in its service or
distribution area — and
no way of gathering this
information.
EU27
Number of disconnections for non-payment, and duration of disconnection.
Social Data
EU28
Power outage frequency.
Customers
EU29
Average power outage duration.
Customers
EU30
Not applicable. This is a
Average plant availability factor by energy source and country or regulatory regime power generation plant
measure.
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (EC)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
EC1
Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating
costs, employee compensation, donations and other community investments,
retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments.
Annual Report ,
Community
EC2
Financial implications and other risks and opportunities for the organization’s
activities due to climate change.
Watersheds
EC3
Coverage of the organization's defined benefit plan obligations.
People , Consolidated
Financial Statements (pp.
93-94)
EC4
Significant financial assistance received from government.
Social Data
Market presence EC5
Ratios of entry level wages compared to local minimum wage.
Social Data
EC6
Policy, practices, and proportion of spending on locally-based suppliers at
significant locations of operation.
Social Data
EC7
Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management hired from the
local community at locations of significant operation. People
Indirect economic impacts EC8
Development and impact of infrastructure investments and service provided
primarily for public benefit through commercial, in-kind or pro bono engagement Community
EC9
Understanding and describing significant indirect economic impacts, including the
extent of impacts.
Community
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS (EN)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
EN1
Materials used by weight and volume.
Environment Data ,
Environment Data 2
EN2
Percentage of materials that are recycled input materials
Environment
Data , Environment Data
2
EN3
Direct energy consumption by primary energy source.
Environment Data
EN4
Indirect energy consumption by primary source.
Environment Data,
Environment Data 2
EN5
Energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements.
Wastewater
EN6
Initiatives to provide energy-efficient or renewable energy based products and
services, and reductions in energy requirements as a result of these initiatives.
Distribution and
Transmission
EN7
Initiatives to reduce indirect energy consumption and reductions achieved.
Not Tracked
EN8
Total water withdrawal by source.
Environment Data
EN9
Water sources significantly affected by withdrawal of water.
Watersheds,
Wastewater , Environment Data
EN10
Percentage and total volume of water recycled and discharged.
Environment Data
EN11
Location and size of land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected
areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside protected areas.
Environment Data
EN12
Description of significant impacts of activities, products, and services on
biodiversity in protected areas and areas of high biodiversity value outside
protected areas.
Wastewater , Watersheds
EN13
Habitats protected or restored.
Distribution and
Transmission ,
Wastewater
EN14
Strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity.
Distribution and
Transmission,
Watersheds
EN15
Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with
habitats in areas affected by operations.
Environment Data
EN16
Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight.
Environment Data
EN17
Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas emissions
Environment Data
EN18
Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved.
Wastewater
EN19
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances by weight.
Environment Data
EN20
NOx, SOx, and other significant air emissions by type and weight.
Environment Data
EN21
Total water discharge by quality and destination.
Environment Data
EN22
Total weight of waste by type and disposal method.
Distribution and
Transmission
EN23
Total number and volume of significant spills.
Environment Data ,
Wastewater
EN24
Weight of transported, imported or treated waste deemed hazardous under Basel
Convention.
Environment Data
EN25
Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value of water bodies and related
habitats significantly affected by the reporting organization's discharges of water
and runoff.
Watersheds, Wastewater
EN26
Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of products and services.
Customers , Wastewater ,
Distribution and
Transmission
EN27
Percentage of products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by
category.
Not applicable. No
packaging material is
associated with our
products.
EN28
Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for
Environment Data
non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Significant environmental impacts of transporting products and other goods and
EN29
EN30
materials used for the organization’s operations, and transporting members of the
workforce.
Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type.
Not material. No
significant impacts.
Not available. We have
included narratives about
the Fish Return Project
and other environmental
initiatives. However,
environmental protection
expenditures are not
categorized and
reportable in EPCOR’s
financial system.
LABOUR PRACTICES AND DECENT WORK (LA)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
LA1
Total workforce by employment type, employment contract, and region.
Social Data
LA2
Total number and rate of employee turnover
Social Data
LA3
Benefits provided to full-time employee that are not provided to temporary or parttime employees
People , People 2 LA4
Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements
Social Data , People
LA5
Minimum notice period(s) regarding significant operational changes, including
whether it is specified in collective agreements.
Social Data
LA6
Percentage of total workforce represented in formal joint management-worker
health and safety committees.
Safety
LA7
Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost days and absenteeism and workrelated fatalities.
Safety
LA8
Education, training, counselling, prevention and risk-control programs to assist
workforce members, their families, or community members regarding serious
diseases.
People LA9
Health and safety topics covered in formal agreements with trade unions.
Safety
LA10
Average hours of training per year per employee.
Social Data
LA11
Programs for skills management and lifelong learning.
Social Data
LA12
Percentage of employees receiving regular performance and career development
reviews.
Social Data , Social Data
2
LA13
Composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees per category
according to gender, age group, minority group membership, and other indicators
of diversity. AIF (pp. 19-25), People
LA14
Ratio of basic salary of men to women by employee category
People
HUMAN RIGHTS (HR)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
HR1
Significant investment agreements that include human rights clauses and have
undergone human rights screening.
Social Data
HR2
Significant suppliers and contractors that have undergone screening on human
rights.
Social Data
HR3
Total hours of employee training on policies and procedures concerning aspects
of human rights that are relevant to operations, including the percentage of
employees trained.
Ethics
HR4
Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken.
Social Data
HR5
Operations in which the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining
may be at significant risk.
Social Data
HR6
Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child labour.
Social Data
HR7
Operations having significant risk for incidents of forced or compulsory labour.
Social Data
HR8
Percentage of security personnel trained in the organization policies or procedures
Social Data
concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant to operations
HR9
Total number of incidents of violations involving rights of indigenous people and
actions taken.
Social Data
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
SO1
Nature, scope, and effectiveness of programs and practices that assess and
manage the impacts of operations on communities.
Communities , Social Data
SO2
Percentage and total number of business units analyzed for risks related to
corruption. Ethics SO3
Percentage of employees trained in organization’s anti-corruption policies and
procedures.
Ethics
SO4
Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption.
Ethics
SO5
Public policy positions and participation in public policy development and lobbying. Ethics
SO6
Total value of financial and in-kind contribution to political parties and politicians.
Social Data
SO7
Total number of legal actions for anti-competitive behaviour, anti-trust, and
monopoly practices and their outcomes.
Social Data
SO8
Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary sanctions for
Social Data
non-compliance with laws and regulations.
SOCIETY (SO)
PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY (PR)
GRI #
Disclosure
Location
PR1
Life cycles in which health and safety impacts of products and services are
assessed for improvement.
Water , Wastewater
PR2
Total number of incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes
concerning health and safety impacts of products and services.
Water ,
Wastewater
PR3
Type of product and service information required by procedures and percentage
of significant products and services subject to such information requirements.
Customers
PR4
Incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning
product and service information and labelling.
Customers
PR5
Practices related to customer satisfaction, including results of surveys measuring
customer satisfaction.
Water , Customers
PR6
Programs for adherence to laws, standards and voluntary codes related to
marketing communications, including advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Customers
PR7
Incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes concerning
marketing communications.
Social Data
PR8
Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of customer privacy
and losses of customer data.
Social Data
PR9 Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and regulations
concerning the provision and use of products and services.
Social Data
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MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
MEASURING
PERFORMANCE
Environmental
Indicators
Social and
Economic
Indicators
ENVIRONMENT/TECHNICAL INFORMATION & DATA
GRI ENVIRONMENT INDICATORS
GRI numbers refer to the Global Reporting Initiative disclosure.
Data and information related to power generation are not provided because of the sale of power generation assets in July 2009.
AIF refers to EPCOR’s 2009 Annual Information Form .
Annual Report refers to EPCOR’s 2009 Annual Report .
NCD - No comparable data
Other references are to sections of this report or sections of EPCOR’s website .
GRI #
Description
2009
2008
EN1
In-use inventory of PCBs in equipment
(known concentrations)
2 - 49 ppm in 84,696 litres recycled
mineral oil >50 ppm in 6,158 litres
mineral oil
2 - 49 ppm in 68,414 litres recycled
mineral oil >50 ppm in 1,015 litres
mineral oil)
EN1
PCB material disposed/recycled in
equipment (known concentrations)
60,912 kg
64,206 kg
EN2
Percentage of materials used that are
recycled input materials
Not material. EPCOR’s primary inputs
are water and electricity. We use paper
with at least 30% post-consumer
content for most internal printing and
paper that has up to 100% postconsumer content for commercially
printed documents. Amounts are not
quantified. Employees programs are
under way to reduce paper use.
Same
EN4
Electricity consumed in Edmonton water
93,330,942 kWh
treatment and distribution
87,475,474 KWh
EN4
Total water produced for Edmonton
region
136,249 ML
Electricity consumed per unit of water -
133,503 ML
EN4
Edmonton
699 kWh/ML
642 KWh/ML
EN10
Volume of water recycled
Gold Bar produced and delivered
3,356,525 cubic metres of reclaimed
water to customers
1,347,130 cubic metres (before Gold
Bar operation)
EN11
Location and size of land owned,
leased, managed in, or adjacent to,
protected areas and areas of high
biodiversity value outside protected
areas
Banff National Park, Alberta None
EN15
Number of IUCN Red List species and
national conservation list species with
See response below
habitats in areas affected by operations,
by level of extinction risk.
The 2008 published response of “zero”
was incorrect. The 2008 response
should have been the same as our
2009 response. EN17
Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas
emissions by weight.
Not material. Indirect emissions include
employee commuting and business
travel. These cannot be easily
quantified in terms of resulting
emissions and they would not be
significant when compared to other
activities generating direct or indirect
emissions. EPCOR’s major work sites
and offices are accessible by public
transit. EPCOR is increasingly using
teleconferences and video conferences
in place of business travel.
EN19
Emissions of ozone-depleting
substances by weight
Zero
41 kg 1
EN20
NOx, SOx, and other significant air
emissions by type and weight
Not material. No significant emissions
(For 2008 emissions related to power
generation, see the 2008 Corporate
Responsibility Report )
EN23
Reportable 2 environmental releases
31 (9 releases to air, 16 releases to
land, 6 releases to water)
129 3
EN24
Weight of transported, imported or
treated waste deemed hazardous under
Basel Convention
Zero
Zero
EN28
Monetary value of significant fines and
total number of non-monetary sanctions
for non-compliance with environmental
laws and regulations
Zero
1 fine, 1 violation, 2 notices of violation
Monetary value: $23,000
EU4
Length of above ground and
underground transmission and
distribution lines, by regulatory regime
(km)
Edmonton - 5,324 km primary
distribution up to 60 kV
Edmonton - 203 km transmission lines
over 60 kV
(Regulated by Alberta Utilities
Commission)
5,069 km primary distribution up to 60
kV
195 km transmission lines over 60 kV
(Regulated by Alberta Utilities
Commission)
EU12
Distribution and transmission line losses 180.91 MWh (2.63% of total load)
Same
179.76 MWh (2.49%)
EN15
Number of IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas affected by operations, by level of extinction risk.
EPCOR operates facilities in Alberta and B.C. where nine of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red listed species may exist.
The Vancouver Island Marmot is a critically endangered species whose range overlaps with Sooke and French Creek operations. As well, there are a
several Pacific coast species on the list and could be considered to be in the vicinity of B.C. operations such as Port Hardy, Sooke and Britannia Mine.
These include the Thresher Shark, Liver-Oil Shark, Bluntnose Sixgill Shark, Shortfin Mako Shark, Blue Whale and Northern Abalone.
The White Bark Pine tree, which grows along the coastal range in British Columbia and in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, is listed as vulnerable and
would occur in the headwaters of Alberta operations, primarily the Okotoks, Banff, and Canmore facilities.
The shrub Canadian Yew is listed as near threatened. It can be found throughout Vancouver Island, the B.C. coast, and in the Rocky Mountain ranges.
This would indicate that all B.C. operations on Vancouver Island and possibly Banff and Canmore would be near this species range.
It should be noted, however, that EPCOR operations are not “extractive” like mining, forestry or commercial fisheries and as such do not have a direct
impact on the habitats of these species. In addition, EPCOR’s Watershed Protection Program supports habitat and watershed protection through a
number of initiatives including source water protection planning, watershed initiatives, water quality and quantity analysis and education and awareness.
EN1, EN3, EN4, EN16
EPCOR carbon footprint 2009 - Direct emissions (Scope 1) 4
Mobile fleet operations
Fuel consumed (litres)
C02e produced
(tonnes)
Gasoline consumed by Edmonton fleet
861,574
2,027
Diesel consumed by Edmonton fleet 1,270, 681
3,419
Emissions from mobile fleet operations
5,446
Natural Gas Consumption - owned buildings and sites
Fuel consumed (GJ)
CO2e produced
(tonnes)
Edmonton water and distribution and transmission sites and facilities 177,997
9,205
B.C. sites and facilities
475
9,191
Emissions from natural gas consumption
9,680
Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant emissions
Fuel consumed (Gj)
CO2e produced
(tonnes)
Natural Gas
35,193
1,790
Biogas 5
27,511
Biological nutrient removal (BNR) 6 process
14,904
Gold Bar emissions
44,206
SF6 7 releases from distribution and transmission
transformers and other electrical equipment
SF6 released (kg)
CO2e produced
(tonnes)
SF6
21.36
511
Total direct emissions
59,842
4
Indirect emissions (Scope 2)
Electricity usage - owned buildings and sites
Kilowatt hours (kWh)
Indirect C02e (tonnes)
Edmonton water, wastewater and distribution and transmission sites
and facilities
139,845,918
124,020
B.C. sites and facilities
2,395,272
36
Total indirect emissions
124,056
Total direct and indirect emissions
183,898
PLANT INFORMATION (EN 8, 9, 21)
EPCOR-owned facilities
WTP=Water Treatment Plant
WWTP=Wastewater Treatment Plant
ML=Million litres
Location
Annual
Diversion (ML)
Treated Water
Production
(ML)
Treated Water
Effluent (ML)
Intake Water
Source
Destination of Treated
Wastewater - Source
Rossdale WTP
Edmonton, Alberta
70,019
65,045
N/A
North
Saskatchewan
River
N/A
E.L. Smith WTP
Edmonton, Alberta
80,697
74,485
N/A
North
Saskatchewan
River
N/A
Gold Bar WWTP 3,361 ML of total
treated was
recycled to
industrial
customers
N/A
N/A
98,887
N/A
North Saskatchewan River
French Creek
WTP
French Creek,
B.C.
-
603
N/A
Wells
N/A
White Rock WTP
White Rock, B.C. no treatment
occurs at White
Rock
-
2,360
N/A
Wells and French
Creek
N/A
Northern Alberta Fort McMurray
sites (aggregate)
-
339
485
-
-
Contract Operated Plants - Southern Alberta
Treated Water
Production
(ML)
Treated Water
Effluent (ML)
Intake Water
Source
Destination of Treated
Wastewater - Source
Banff WWTP - took
over operation
N/A
March 24, 2009
N/A
119
N/A
Bow River
Canmore WTP
2,607
2,481
N/A
Wells/Rundle
Forebay
N/A
Canmore WWTP
N/A
N/A
2,900
N/A
Bow River
Chestermere - no
water produced
(water distribution
only)
N/A
1,414
N/A
N/A
n/A
Chestermere - not
treated
(wastewater
collection only)
N/A
N/A
1,108
N/A
N/A
Okotoks WTP
-
2,680
N/A
Wells-Sheep River
-
Okotoks WWTP no treated water
used for irrigation
in 2009
N/A
N/A
1,853
N/A
Sheep River
Strathmore WTP
-
1,282
-
N/A
Irrigation canal and storage
Strathmore WWTP
N/A
N/A
1,220
N/A
Bow River/Irrigation Pivots
Taber WTP
-
1,653
N/A
-
-
Taber WWTP
N/A
N/A
1,774
N/A
-
Taber WTP
-
1,653
N/A
-
-
Red Deer County
(Aggregate)
-
502
-
-
Varies
Location
Annual
Diversion (ML)
Contract Operated Plants - British Columbia
Location
Annual
Diversion (ML)
Treated Water
Production
(ML)
Treated Water
Effluent (ML)
Intake Water
Source
Destination of Treated
Wastewater - Source
Port Hardy WTP
-
1,620
N/A
Tsulquate River
N/A
Port Hardy WWTP
(Tsulquate)
N/A
N/A
913
N/A
Ocean (Port Hardy Harbour)
Port Hardy WWTP
(Airport)
N/A
N/A
913
N/A
Ocean (Port Hardy Harbour)
Sooke WWTP
N/A
N/A
615
N/A
Ocean (Sooke Harbour)
Whistler WTP
-
12
N/A
-
Ocean (Sooke Harbour)
Whistler WWTP
-
N/A
6
-
N/A
Britannia Mine
N/A
3,371
N/A
N/A
Mine Treated Water
1 Related to power generation.
2 "Reportable" means as required under respective provincial and federal regulatory release reporting guidelines.
3Includes environmental-related incidents in addition to releases, such as those of an administrative nature.
4 Data is for operations owned by EPCOR. Data is not consistently available for contract operated facilities. Does not include oil sands operations since
EPCOR took this over in late 2009. Edmonton gasoline and diesel use represents 84% of total fleet operations. Emission factor sources used in calculating
carbon footprint are taken from: National Inventory Report 1990 - 2008: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in Canada, Environment Canada, April, 2010
Climate Change 1995, The Science of Climate Change: Summary for Policymakers and Technical Summary of the Working Group I Report, IPCC,
1995.
5 Includes emissions from biogas flaring, and both unplanned and controlled biogas releases 6 The BNR process is a method of secondary wastewater treatment that removes large quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater. During
this biological process, ammonia nitrogen is converted to nitrogen gas and emitted to the atmosphere. A small amount of N20, a greenhouse gas, is also
emitted during this process.
7 Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is a gas (transported as a compressed liquefied gas) used in electrical components such as circuit breakers, transformers and
switchgear, often replacing oil-filled circuit breakers that can contain harmful PCBs. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, SF6 has
a global warming potential of 23,900 times that of CO2 when compared over a 100-year period. EPCOR measures the SF6 used each year to top up levels
in electrical components.
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MEASURING OUR PERFORMANCE
MEASURING
PERFORMANCE
Environmental
Indicators
Social and
Economic
Indicators
SOCIAL/ECONOMIC INFORMATION & DATA
4.1, 4.3 - GOVERNANCE, INDEPENDENCE AND DIVERSITY
EPCOR’s Board of Directors approves the goals of the corporation’s business and evaluates management’s performance. The Board has 12 members, 11
of them independent as defined in the Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Instrument 58-101 – Disclosure of Corporate Governance Practices (NI
58-101).
Douglas H. Mitchell is a partner in a law firm providing legal services to EPCOR and may not be an independent director as defined under NI 58-101. He is
a member of the Environmental, Health and Safety Committee and the Human Resources and Compensation Committee.
All members of the Board are outside Directors because they are not members of management. The Board includes two women, Sheila Weatherill, who
serves as Vice Chair, and Helen Sinclair, who is a member of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. All Board members are more than 50
years old. None are visible minorities.
4.4 - USE OF THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
EPCOR has not adopted the “precautionary principle,” which says that when an activity raises threats to human health or the environment, precautionary
measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. We defer this issue to our regulators and make
sure we are compliant with all laws and regulations.
EU20 - APPROACH TO MANAGING THE IMPACTS OF DISPLACEMENT
Determining the placement of electric utility infrastructure is the responsibility of the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC). EPCOR follows the AUC process
to ensure that potential displacements are minimized and in the public interest. The AUC also sets out processes for public consultation to be undertaken
by the utility for new facilities. A good example is EPCOR’s extensive consultation process for the Heartland Transmission Project.
EPCOR’s policy is to offer fair market value for land we acquire for essential electric and water transmission and distribution infrastructure and related
operations and to offer other forms of compensation such as replacement costs for buildings and relocation costs. Most of our infrastructure for water and
electric transmission and distribution is located within public right of ways (roads and streets). Where we do cross private lands, we obtain the necessary
access rights. EPCOR has no power of expropriation if agreement cannot be reached. Any expropriation process would be carried out by the appropriate
regulatory or municipal authority.
LA10, LA11, LA12 - TRAINING, SKILLS MANAGEMENT, PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
Average hours of training per year per employee by employee category
Management - 25 hours Technical + 51 hours Development = Average of 76 hours/manager/year
In Scope (Union) - 40 hours Technical + 4 hours Development = Average of 44 hours/union employee/year
Out of Scope - 25 hours Technical + 8 hours Development = Average of 33 hours/out of scope employee/year
This accounts only for training programs run by EPCOR. At present, we do not have a means of tracking external training hours that are funded by
EPCOR.
Programs for skills management and lifelong learning that support the continued employability of employees and assist them in managing career endings.
1. Continued Employability Skills
Front-line and mid-level Leadership Development Programs
Management Boot Camp
Advanced Presentation Skills
Communicating for Clarity
Fundamentals of Business Writing
Presenting with Power and Finesse
Report & Proposal Writing
Working Smart with Microsoft Outlook
Recruiting and Selecting
Finance for the Non-Financial Manager
Understanding Personality Types
2. Managing Career Endings Skills
Pre-Retirement Workshop
EC6 - PURCHASING
EPCOR is covered by the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA), a partnership between the governments of British Columbia and
Alberta. TILMA requires that government and public entities remove impediments across all economic sectors. Under TILMA, all purchases for goods and
services over $75,000 and for construction exceeding $200,000 are now publicly posted to the Alberta Purchasing Connection, unless there is a specific
exception covering that purchase. This ensures that our purchasing practices are fair and open to all potential vendors and there is no preferential
treatment or perceived notions of advantage.
Most of our purchases are from local vendors in the communities where we operate. This saves on travel and freight costs and supports the local
community. Specialized utility equipment and supplies must usually be purchased from national or international suppliers.
In the 12 months ending April 1, 2010 1, we spent $267 million for supplier goods and services. This included $174 million for local spending2. Totals
exclude spending by EPCOR’s power generation area during this period. Capital Power purchased EPCOR’s power generation assets in July 2009.
GRI SOCIAL/ECONOMIC INDICATORS
GRI numbers refer to the Global Reporting Initiative disclosure.
Data and information related to power generation are not provided because of the sale of power generation assets in July 2009.
AIF refers to EPCOR’s 2009 Annual Information Form . Annual Report refers to EPCOR’s 2009 Annual Report .
NCD - No comparable data
Other references are to sections of this report or sections of EPCOR’s website .
GRI #
EU3
Description
2009
2008
501,221
Number of residential, industrial, institutional
and commercial customer accounts
Residential electricity accounts 503,533
Commercial and industrial electricity
accounts 1,414
Water residential, commercial and industrial
accounts 250,042 1,264
102,328
EU8
R&D activity and expenditure aimed at
providing reliable electricity and promoting
sustainable development
As a regulated utility, EPCOR does not
conduct any substantial R&D activity aimed at
promoting reliable electricity and sustainable
development in distribution and transmission of
electricity. EPCOR purchases existing
technologies, such as Smart Grid equipment,
Same
to increase the reliability and sustainability of
its electrical power grid. In 2009, EPCOR
contributed $30,000 into a fund for reliabilityrelated R&D by the University of Alberta as
part of a five-year commitment.
EU15
Management employees eligible to retire in 10
years
22.6% 23.6%
EU15
Out of scope employees eligible to retire in 10
years
7.8%
5.3%
EU15
Professional employees eligible to retire in 10
years
9.9%
10.8%
EU15
Union employees eligible to retire in 10 years
27.1%
28.5%
EU17
Days worked by contractor and subcontractor
employees involved in construction, operation
and maintenance activities
We were not able to report this data for 2009
because our Major Projects Group, which had
responsibility for this information, was
discontinued due to EPCOR’s restructuring. We will report this data in future, starting with
2010.
1.9 million hours EU22
Number of people physically or economically
displaced and compensation, broken down by
type of project
Zero
Zero
EU25
Number of injuries and fatalities to the public
involving company assets.
Zero
1
EU27
Number of disconnections for non-payment,
and duration of disconnection
13,899
Average duration of disconnections is not
tracked.
15,640
ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
GRI #
Description 2009
2008
EC4
Significant financial assistance received from government.
Zero
$6 million
EC5
Ratio of standard entry level wage compared to local minimum
wage:
-Percentage workforce paid minimum wage
-Difference between lowest starting wage and local minimum wage
(Alberta)
-Employees earning lowest starting wage
0
0
$17.85/$8.80
$17.60/$8.80
0
7
LABOUR PRACTICES AND DECENT WORK
EMPLOYEE BREAKDOWN BY REGION
Edmonton
Other
Alberta
B.C.
Ontario
Total
Full time permanent
2,018 107 38 1 2,164
Part time permanent
89 3
1
0
93
Full time temporary
61
1
1
0
63
Casual
2
4
2
0
8
Part time temporary
1
1
1
0
3
Full time provisional
7
0
0
0
7
Total
2,178
116
43
1
2.338
GRI #
Description
2009
2008
LA1
Permanent full time employees
Permanent part time employees
Temporary/provisional full time
Temporary/provisional part time
Casual (not included in above employees)
Long term disability (not included in above)
Contingent workforce (not included in above
Contractor hours on major projects (millions)
Contractor hours on major projects (FTE equivalent)
2,164
93
70
3
8
47
334
NCD
NCD
2,836
104
76
9
53
26
86
1.9
1,063
51
210
43
90
6.2%
12%
15.3%
10.9%
7.9%
10.5%
9.3%
14.2%
9.9%
19%
5.8%
9%
10.2%
13.4%
Turnover numbers3
Voluntary
Involuntary
Turnover rate: union
Turnover rate: non-union
Turnover rate: male
Turnover rate: female
LA2
Turnover rate: under 35
Turnover rate: 35-49
Turnover rate: 50+
Turnover reason: dismissal
Turnover reason: shortage of work
Turnover reason: unsuccessful probation
Turnover: resignation
Turnover reason: retirement
0.1%
0.4%
0%
0.1%
0.3%
0.6%
4.5%
8.1%
1.5%
1.4%
0.9%
1.2%
76.6%
68.5%
Zero
Zero
Turnover reason: other LA4
Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining
agreements
# days lost to strike
LA5
Minimum notice period for employees regarding significant
operational changes
Minimum notice period for
operational changes
varies among the
collective agreements.
EPCOR consults with
unions prior to
Unchanged
implementing significant
operational changes and
regularly exceeds
collective agreement
requirements for providing
notice. LA12
Percentage of employees receiving regular performance reviews
42%
NCD
HUMAN RIGHTS
GRI #
Description
2009
2008
HR1
Significant investment agreements that include human rights
clauses and have undergone human rights screening
Zero
Zero
HR2
Contracts that include screening or criteria on human rights
Zero
Zero
Zero
3
Total number of incidents of discrimination and actions taken
HR4
See also Complaints and Resolutions under EPCOR’s Ethics
Policy .
HR5
Operations in which the right to freedom of association and
collective bargaining may be at significant risk
Zero (self assessment)
Zero
HR6
Operations identified as having significant risk for incidents of child
labour
Zero (EPCOR does not
use child labour)
Zero
HR7
Operations having significant risk for incidents of forced or
compulsory labour
Zero (EPCOR does not
engage in forced or
compulsory labour)
Zero
HR8
Percentage of security personnel trained in the organization policies
or procedures concerning aspects of human rights that are relevant
to operations
100% 100% HR9
Violations involving the rights of indigenous people
Zero Zero SOCIETY
GRI #
Description
2009
2008
SO1
EPCOR constantly monitors its impacts on the communities where it
operates. This is accomplished though 24-hour monitoring of the
Nature, scope and
quality of drinking water produced and wastewater discharged and
effectiveness of any
24-hour monitoring of the electricity distribution and transmission
programs and practices
system. Community advisory groups provide input on the longerthat assess and manage term impact of EPCOR’s operations. EPCOR also has
the impacts of operations comprehensive incident response plans in place for each of its
Same
on communities, including facilities and for its power distribution and water operations. It has a
entering, operating and
home sniffer program, which surveys the public annually on
exiting
aesthetics such as the water’s smell and taste. EPCOR is
responsible to its customers and conducts annual surveys about
customer satisfaction.
SO6
Total value of financial
and in-kind contribution to
Zero
political parties and
politicians
($2,200 — restated )
SO7
Total number of legal
actions for anticompetitive behaviour,
anti-trust, and monopoly
practices and their
outcomes.
Zero
Zero
SO8
Monetary value of
significant fines and total
number of non-monetary
sanctions for noncompliance with laws and
regulations.
Zero
$2,000
PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY
GRI #
Description
2009
2008
PR7
Incidents of non-compliance with regulations and voluntary codes
concerning marketing communications
Zero
Zero
PR8
Total number of substantiated complaints regarding breaches of
customer privacy and losses of customer data.
Zero complaints, 1 breach
5 complaints
of customer information.
PR9
Monetary value of significant fines for non-compliance with laws and
regulations concerning the provision and use of products and
Zero
services.
Zero
1We have traditionally reported purchasing data based on a 12-month period ending April 1, 2010. Starting with the 2010 report, we will in future report
based on a December 31 year-end to be consistent with other data in the document.
2Local spending is defined as occurring when the shipping destination and the supplier site are in the same province.
3All of EPCOR for 2009 but not including the July movement of some employees from EPCOR to Capital Power
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following terms and conditions, and further acknowledge that any information you provide is truthful and disclosure of the information does not violate the legal rights of others. If you do
not agree to the terms of use, do not use this website.
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The Website Disclaimer and Terms of Use (the “Terms”) are to be read by you together with any terms, conditions or disclaimers provided in the pages of the website. In the event of any
conflict, the terms provided in the pages of the website will govern. The information, material and content provided in the pages of EPCOR’s website (the "Information") may be changed
at any time without notice. Changes may be made to the Terms at any time without notice by updating this posting. You agree to review the Terms regularly and your continued access or
use of the website will mean that you agree to any changes.
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Internet Security and Email
We recommend the use of appropriate security, antivirus, and other protective software. Any unprotected email communication over the Internet is NOT confidential and could be lost,
intercepted, or altered. To protect yourself, do not send sensitive information (such as passwords, credit card numbers, etc) to EPCOR or anyone else via email. EPCOR is not
responsible for and will not be liable to you or any one else for any damages in connection with an email sent by you to EPCOR or an email sent by EPCOR to you at your request or in
response to an email from you.
Trademark and Copyright Notices
This website and the contents hereof are protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights of EPCOR or third parties and is protected under the copyright laws of Canada and
other countries. Any unauthorized downloading, re-transmission, or other copying or modification of trade-marks and/or the contents of this website may be a violation of any federal or
other law that may apply to trade-marks and/or copyrights and could subject the copier to legal action. Unless otherwise specified, no one has permission to copy, redistribute, reproduce,
republish, store in any medium, re-transmit, modify or make public or commercial use of, in any form, the information on this website.
Subject to the preceding paragraph, EPCOR hereby grants to you a limited license to print and copy information contained in this website for your own personal, non-commercial use.
Such license is revocable at EPCOR’s sole option. If any such use of this information is made, you shall ensure that all copyright, trademark and other proprietary notices are retained
and you must explicitly acknowledge EPCOR as the sole owner of such information.
Access to Password Protected and Secure Areas
Access to and use of password protected and / or secure areas of this website are restricted to authorized visitors only. Unauthorized visitors attempting to access these areas of the
website may be subject to legal action.
Acceptable Use of Secured EPCOR Sites
The user further acknowledges that any misuse that disrupts the normal use of the system, portals, or secured websites accessible through EPCOR websites is strictly prohibited. Such
abuse may lead to termination of accounts that access online services. Examples of system abuse include, but are not limited to:
using the system in a manner not intended by the Terms;
impersonating another user or otherwise falsifying one's user name;
any attempts to penetrate EPCOR or third party provider security;
any attempts to access another party's account or files;
transmitting any material in violation of applicable federal, provincial or state law, including, but not limited to, copyrighted material, unauthorized transmission of material protected
by a trade secret, spam, etc.
In addition to the foregoing, the user of online services available through the EPCOR secured sites, including the B2B Customer Web portal also agrees to the following:
the user indemnifies service suppliers, third party providers, and / or licensors for its misuse of services.
Third party beneficiaries include, but are not limited to, Itron.
If EPCOR becomes aware of or suspects any unlawful use or violation of the Terms, EPCOR shall use commercially reasonable efforts to notify the customer and provide reasonable
detail of such violation, while reserving the right to immediately suspend or terminate the customer's online services provided through EPCOR when reasonably necessary to protect
EPCOR's, its service suppliers', and its customers' interests. EPCOR will immediately report to service suppliers, third party providers, and / or licensors any suspected breach of these
Terms, and promptly initiate all reasonable steps to compel the customer to cure such breach. EPCOR will fully cooperate with service suppliers, third party providers, and / or licensors
in any investigations and other actions taken for suspected or known violations of the Terms.
Third Party Website Links
EPCOR’s website may provide listing of and/or links to third party websites as a convenient information service only. EPCOR accepts no responsibility or liability for the privacy practices,
content, opinions, accuracy, and administration of such other websites, nor do we monitor or endorse these websites. We encourage our customers and visitors to this website to be
aware of the privacy policies of every website that collects personal information.
Jurisdiction
EPCOR is based in Alberta, Canada. Any dispute arising out of the use of this website shall be governed by the Laws of the Province of Alberta, Canada and shall be brought exclusively
in the courts of Alberta. EPCOR makes no representation that this website or the contents hereof is appropriate or legal in all jurisdictions. If you are accessing this website from outside
of Canada, you do so at your own risk and you are responsible for ensuring that all applicable laws are complied with.
Subsidiaries
All references to EPCOR shall be deemed to include its subsidiaries.
Terms of Use : Compliance & Ethics : Privacy Policy
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Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is a demonstration of EPCOR’s commitment to privacy protection.
It has always been EPCOR’s priority to safeguard any information provided by our customers. We are committed to meeting, and where possible, exceeding, the requirements of all
applicable privacy legislation that relates to EPCOR’s businesses (the “privacy legislation”). This Policy will apply to EPCOR Utilities Inc. and all of its subsidiaries.
At EPCOR, customer information is maintained as strictly confidential. Unless you authorize us to release it, or release is required or permitted by law, we will not disclose information
about you to any third parties. However, in order to efficiently provide you with our services, we will share information with other EPCOR businesses or suppliers who perform services on
our behalf and with whom contracts have been signed that obligate that third party to adhere to EPCOR’s privacy policies. We never sell, lease or trade information about you or your
accounts to other parties, unless you authorize us to do so, or unless required or permitted by privacy legislation.
Privacy Policy for Customer Information (135KB pdf)
Privacy Standards for Customer Information (50KB pdf)
This document provides information about EPCOR's Privacy Policy for Customer Information and includes all of the information on the EPCOR Privacy website.
Terms of Use : Compliance & Ethics : Privacy Policy
Independent Assurance Report
To the Board of Directors and Management of
EPCOR Utilities Inc. (“EPCOR”)
We have reviewed selected quantitative performance
indicators (the “Subject Matter”) presented in
EPCOR’s Corporate Responsibility Report (the
“Report”) for the year ended December 31, 2009. We
did not review all information included in the Report.
As such, we planned and performed our work in order
to provide limited assurance with respect to the
Subject Matter.
We obtained and evaluated evidence using a variety
of procedures including:

Interviewing relevant EPCOR management and
staff responsible for data collection and reporting

Obtaining an understanding of the management
systems, processes, and controls used to
generate, aggregate and report the data

Reviewing relevant documents and records on a
sample basis

Testing and re-calculating quantitative
information related to the selected performance
indicators on a sample basis

Assessing the information collected for
completeness, accuracy, validity and consistency
Subject Matter
We reviewed the following consolidated 2009
quantitative performance indicators as set out in the
Report, and Attachment A, which comprise the
Subject Matter:

Total community support

Carbon footprint

Reportable environmental releases

Monetary value of significant fines and total
number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental laws and
regulations.

Employee injury frequency rates:

o
Total recordable injury frequency (TRIF)
o
Lost time injury frequency (LTIF)
Employee statistics
We also reviewed EPCOR’s self-declaration of the
level of reporting achieved under the Global Reporting
Initiative guidelines.
Our evidence-gathering procedures were more limited
than required for a reasonable assurance
engagement and, consequently, we do not express
an audit opinion on the Subject Matter.
We carried out our work on the selected performance
indicators at EPCOR’s head office in Edmonton,
Alberta.
Our assurance criteria comprised the Global
Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting
Guidelines (2006), industry standards, and EPCOR’s
internal management definitions as disclosed in the
Report, informed by relevant regulations in the areas
of operation.
The indicators comprising the Subject Matter were
chosen by EPCOR primarily on the basis of perceived
external stakeholder interest. We did not review the
narrative sections of the Report, except where they
incorporated the Subject Matter.
Our assurance team included individuals with
backgrounds and experience in providing assurance
on environment, health and safety, social and
economic information.
Responsibilities
Conclusion
EPCOR management is responsible for collection and
presentation of the Subject Matter. Our responsibility
is to express a conclusion, based on our assurance
procedures, as to whether anything has come to our
attention to suggest that the Subject Matter is not
presented fairly in accordance with the relevant
criteria.
Based on our work as described in this report, nothing
has come to our attention that causes us to believe
that the Subject Matter is not, in all material respects,
reported in accordance with the relevant criteria.
Methodology & Assurance Procedures
We conducted our work in accordance with the
International Standard on Assurance Engagements
(ISAE) 3000, “Assurance Engagements Other than
Audits or Reviews of Historical Financial Information”,
issued by the International Federation of Accountants.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Edmonton, Canada
October 1, 2010
Attachment A: EPCOR 2009 Corporate Responsibility Report
All figures for the year ending December 31, 2009
GRI
Reference
Performance Indicator
2009 Value
EC1
Total community support
$2.6 million
Notes
Includes programs, activities and sponsorships.
The indicator is reported in a manner consistent with EPCOR’s
financial reporting principles and includes support that may be
associated with previously owned power generation activities.
EN16
EN23
Carbon Footprint
Reportable environmental
releases
183,898
tonnes CO2
equivalent
31
Includes direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions.
Data is for operations owned by EPCOR. Exceptions include
oil sands operations acquired by EPCOR in late 2009, several
contract-operated facilities, and 16% of company fleet for which
fuel information was not available.
Includes only releases that meet or exceed the criteria for reporting
as set out in the applicable provincial and federal regulations.
2009 reportable environmental releases included 9 releases to air,
16 releases to land, 6 releases to water.
EN28
Monetary value of significant
fines and total number of nonmonetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental
laws and regulations
Zero
LA1
Full time permanent employees
2,164
Part time permanent employees
93
Full time temporary employees
63
Part time temporary employees
3
Full time provisional employees
7
Casual employees
8
LA7
Total employees
2,338
Lost Time Injury Frequency
(LTIF)
0.45
As at December 31, 2009
Frequency rates are calculated by multiplying the number of
incidents by 200,000 hours. 200,000 hours is an industry standard
base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50
weeks per year. The result is then divided by the hours worked
(exposure hours).
Data excludes power generation employees and one-third of the
corporate services employees who were moved to Capital Power
as a result of the sale of the power generation business in July
2009.
GRI
Reference
Performance Indicator
2009 Value
Notes
LA7
Total Recordable Injury
Frequency (TRIF)
3.09
Frequency rates are calculated by multiplying the number of
incidents by 200,000 hours. 200,000 hours is an industry standard
base and equals 100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50
weeks per year. The result is then divided by the hours worked
(exposure hours).
Data excludes power generation employees and one-third of
the corporate services employees who were moved to Capital
Power as a result of the sale of the power generation business
in July 2009.