Chapleau Town Council's considering selling the local utility.
A special meeting's being held at 5 o'clock, with a single item on the agenda: a resolution for the sale of Chapleau PUC.
While the agenda does not say who it would be sold to, Hydro One took over day-to-day operations for Chapleau Hydro in June, amid staffing shortages, as the Ontario Energy Board issued Hydro One an interim licence to operate Chapleau Hydro's distribution business for the next six months, during which time Chapleau Hydro and the Township of Chapleau would "evaluate longer term options to continue to provide excellent electricity distribution services in Chapleau", expecting a "permanent solution ready to put in place at the end of this interim period", which would be next month.
At the time, it was noted Chapleau Hydro is "one of the smallest utilities in the province and, due to its size, it is challenged with balancing the ongoing regulatory requirements, attracting and retaining staff, and the need to make investments in the distribution system", so the Township was looking at the option of selling the distribution business "to ensure customers continue to receive excellent electricity distribution services".