A merger between Entegrus Powerlines Inc. and St. Thomas Energy Inc. has been given final approval.
The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) recently gave the green light to an application submitted by the two utilities, which will see St. Thomas Energy adopt the Entegrus Powerlines name as of April 1.
“We look forward to working with our new team as we begin this transition to merge our operations,” said St. Thomas Energy COO Rob Kent, who will join Entegrus as vice president of IT Services & Fibre Operations. “There will be no disruption to services offered by St. Thomas Energy, and the main office at 135 Edward St. will remain open. Additional changes may occur as we begin to merge systems, but we will continue to communicate any changes that will affect our customers.”
The combined electrical distributor will now serve over 58,000 customers in 17 communities throughout southwestern Ontario, which includes the addition of 17,000 customers within the City of St. Thomas.
According to Entegrus, distribution rates are expected to remain fairly stable over the next several years, with projected increases being less than inflation.
Entegrus CEO Jim Hogan has previously stated that the merger should result in savings for customers currently served by both distribution centres.
The utility said it plans to seek Ontario Energy Board approval for harmonization of distribution rates between all communities during the next scheduled distribution rate application in 2026.