Cornerstone Hydro Electric Concepts
CHEC Welcomes Bruno Pereira as its New President
February 1, 2023
Pereira’s extensive experience will provide the leadership CHEC needs to support its members through the coming changes in the industry
Barrie, ON February 1, 2023 – Cornerstone Hydro Electric Concepts (CHEC) is pleased to announce its new President.
“The Board of CHEC welcomes Bruno Pereira to the Association,” said Tim Curtis, Chair of the Board. “With his strong operational and leadership experience, he is well suited to continue the services CHEC provides to its members and advocate for the smaller local distribution companies in Ontario.”
Pereira has over 30 years in the electricity industry with his most recent concurrent posts as the Chief Development Officer of NT Energy, an unregulated energy focused organization, and as the Chief Projects & Engineering Officer at Northwest Territories Power Corporation. Prior to that he was the President and CEO of the Northwest Territories Power Corporation in Nunavut.
“The collaborative work that CHEC does appeals to me,” said Pereira. “It’s more important than ever for Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) to work together to achieve efficiencies and adapt to the changing industry. I’m looking forward to supporting the CHEC members across the full range of their activities.”
Pereira’s previous Ontario utility experience includes Director of Engineering at Milton Hydro, VP Engineering & Operations at Norfolk Power, and Manager of Engineering at Hydro One and Horizon Utilities. Throughout his career he has been involved in the regulatory process including as a member of the Federal Nuclear SMR Roadmap Steering Committee; as a member of the OEB’s Renewed Regulatory Framework Initiative Working Groups: Distribution Network Investment Planning and Regional Infrastructure Planning and Standing Committee; and as part of the OEB and ESA working group on Safety Measures for LDCs.
“The electricity industry is a comprehensive and intricate framework and members within the industry often don’t recognize that uniqueness. It’s important to understand what is driving the regulatory bodies and what they are trying to achieve.”
Many of CHEC’s members are some of the smaller utilities in the province and Pereira believes they have a unique role to play in their communities.
“Smaller LDCs are an integral part of their community. They are well connected and have a more direct line to their customers. There’s a certain amount of responsibility that comes with being that integrated.” When Pereira was VP Engineering & Operations at Norfolk Power the utility had 18,000 customers.
Pereira believes the kind of support the Association provides needs to reflect that role in the community. With a smaller number of staff, members have broader needs and without a full department, need to rely on supports within the Association to remain competitive and deliver the kind of service and reliability their customers expect. He plans to visit the individual members as part of his orientation and to better understand the role that CHEC plays in each LDC.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the members and understanding what their needs are. This is a fascinating opportunity to impact a large number of LDCs and make a meaningful contribution.”
ABOUT CHEC
CHEC is a collaborative association of 15 Local Distribution Companies in Ontario. By sharing experience, knowledge and resources CHEC helps its members remain as active members of their communities, deliver value to their shareholders, provide safe, efficient, and cost-effective electricity distribution to their customers, and prepare for the energy future. The current members of CHEC are Centre Wellington Hydro Ltd., ERTH Power Corp., Fort Frances Power Corp., Grimsby Power, InnPower Corp., Lakefront Utilities Inc., Lakeland Power Distribution Ltd., Niagara–on- the-Lake Hydro, Orangeville Hydro Ltd., Ottawa River Power Corp., Renfrew Hydro Inc., Rideau St. Lawrence Distribution Inc., Tillsonburg Hydro, Wasaga Distribution Inc., and Wellington North Power Inc.