Hydro One investing in critical infrastructure to energize the southwest Ontario economy

The Lakeshore News Reporter

The Minister of Energy has directed the Ontario Energy Board to amend Hydro One Networks Inc.’s transmission license to develop four transmission lines to meet growing electricity demand in southwest Ontario.

This is in addition to Hydro One’s previous transmission designation for the Chatham to Lakeshore line in 2020. 

These five transmission lines will meet the needs of new and growing industries and help attract future jobs to the region. As the Windsor-Essex region continues to grow, a consolidated approach to developing the new transmission lines provides more transparency during engagement with Indigenous communities, residents, municipalities and stakeholders and will expedite development in the region.

 

“Our key industries have expressed the critical need for increased power and adequate infrastructure to supply the growing regional demand. The expansion of

the designated new electricity infrastructure is essential to economic growth and prosperity in Windsor-Essex,” said C. Stephen MacKenzie, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invest WindsorEssex. “As the lead economic development agency for the region, Invest WindsorEssex strongly supports the prioritization of this transmission project in southwestern Ontario to ensure continued local and global investment.”

Current projects under development and planned for construction:

• The Chatham to Lakeshore Line, a 230-kilovolt line from Chatham Switching Station to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station currently under construction in the Municipality of Lakeshore
• The St. Clair Line, a 230-kilovolt line from Lambton Transformer Station, south of Sarnia, to Chatham Switching Station 

To be developed and prioritized for construction:

• The Longwood to Lakeshore Line, a 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station, west of London, to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station

To be developed with scope to be further refined through planning by the IESO:

• A second 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station to Lakeshore Transformer Station
• A 230-kilovolt line that would run from the Windsor area to Lakeshore Transformer Station

The development portion of these projects includes Indigenous and community engagement, a preliminary engineering design, an estimation of cost and the Environmental Assessment.

More detail about Hydro One’s projects can be found: www.hydroone.com/about/corporate-information/major-projects 

 

Source: Hydro One