A power failure in the external Hydro One electrical grid affected the Toronto Hydro Steeles substation and caused a lengthy power outage yesterday for some parts of the Keele campus. The outage, which began at 12:25pm, lasted until early evening in some buildings, leading to the cancellation of some evening classes.
For most buildings, the outage lasted about 45 minutes. Power was returned to them after Central Utilities Building staff were able to temporarily restore power through York's cogeneration units while Toronto Hydro worked on repairs. But other buildings on the Keele campus were left without power until shortly after 6pm. These buildings are not connected to York's electrical system. Evening classes were cancelled in four of them:
- Seymour Schulich Building
- Technology Enhanced Learning Centre (TEL)
- Accolade East
- Seneca @ York
Power also was off for several hours in:
- Bennett Centre for Student Services
- Executive Learning Centre
- Student Services Parking Garage
The rest of the campus was well-served by the cogeneration units. York University installed its first 5-megawatt cogeneration unit in the fall of 1998 and installed a second in 2003. The cogeneration units also reduce the demand for energy in Ontario, and York now produces 60 per cent of its own electricity and 70 per cent of the steam it requires to heat the University.