Demand for Electricity Drops Off the Grid Due to COVID-19

Demand for Electricity Drops Off the Grid Due to COVID-19
Hydro One electricity transmission lines are seen south of Chesley, Ont., on Sept. 29, 2019. Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press
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TORONTO—It’s as if the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus, epidemic had tripped a circuit breaker, shutting off all power to a city the size of Ottawa.

Virus-induced restrictions that have shut down large swaths of normal commercial life across Canada has led to a noticeable drop in demand for power in Ontario, insiders said on Friday.