Province prioritizes five electricity-transmission projects in southwest
The Ontario government has enacted various measures to prioritize the development of five electricity transmission infrastructure projects in Southwest Ontario.
The projects, announced on April 4, are designed to support the significant growth in the region’s manufacturing and greenhouse sectors.
“Our government is supporting the incredible growth in Southwest Ontario by accelerating the development of five new transmission lines that will power the new Stellantis–LGES battery plant, the growing greenhouse sector and other job creators,” said Energy Minister Todd Smith. “As our government reduces the price of doing business, including by lowering electricity prices by 15-17 percent for large commercial and industrial customers, we have seen significant new investment. Today we are demonstrating our commitment to build the critical infrastructure to support those new jobs.”
The five transmission projects that will be advanced by the government actions are:
- 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,
- the Longwood to Lakeshore Line, a 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station, west of London, to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station,
- a second 500-kilovolt line from Longwood Transformer Station to Lakeshore Transformer Station, with scope to be further refined through planning by the IESO, and
- a 230-kilovolt line that would run from the Windsor area to Lakeshore Transformer station, with scope to be further refined through planning by the IESO.
The government issued an Order-in-Council declaring three of the projects as priorities, thereby streamlining the Ontario Energy Board’s (OEB) regulatory approval process for the lines. The priority declaration requires the OEB to accept that the three initial lines are needed when assessing whether the projects are in the public interest, expediting the review process so projects can be brought online earlier.
The Energy Minister has also directed the OEB to amend Hydro One’s transmission license requiring it to undertake development work and seek approvals for four of the identified transmission lines.
Combined, the projects represent an investment of more than $1 billion and are proposed to be developed in phases through 2030.
“Whether it is game-changing auto investments like the one between LGES and Stellantis or the growing greenhouse sector, our government is making sure that job creators have the infrastructure needed to stimulate local economies,” said Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.
"We applaud the City of Windsor and local, regional municipalities, together with the Ontario provincial government for having the foresight to plan for the infrastructure needs of the joint venture battery plant we recently announced in partnership with LG Energy Solutions, along with the many other local projects and industries that require a reliable electricity source to operate,” said Zach Leroux, Lead for North America Battery Industrialization with Stellantis N.V. “Today marks a positive step forward for the climate and for the environment as we look to lower carbon emissions through the electrification of light duty vehicles, and as we pursue our global commitment to be carbon net zero by 2038."
With new transmission projects often facing lengthy development times, the government says its actions will ensure that transmission infrastructure can meet the needs of Southwest Ontario, giving businesses the confidence to expand or invest in their operations and create new jobs. This includes certainty for growing industries, such as the recently announced investment in the province’s first large-scale EV battery manufacturing plant in Windsor.
Electricity demands in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham areas alone are forecasted to grow from roughly 500 megawatts (MW) of peak demand today to about 2,100 MW in 2035, which is about the equivalent of adding a city the size of Ottawa to the grid.
In the Kingsville-Leamington area alone there is currently a queue of customers waiting to connect to the electricity grid, demonstrating the need for the timely development of new electricity infrastructure in the region.
Featured image: Stephen Crawford, parliamentary assistant to Ontario's energy minister, announced the province would accelerate five transmission line projects that will increase electricity supplies to Windsor-Essex. (City of Windsor / Facebook)