Hydro One has broken ground on the Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line, a new project in southern Ontario that aims to provide clean electricity to support growth in the agri-food and manufacturing industries.

Hydro One President and CEO, David Lebeter was joined by Minister of Energy, Todd Smith, First Nation leaders, as well as several local agricultural and municipal leaders to celebrate the start of construction on the $268-million investment on June 19. 

"The Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line is paving the way for Ontario's clean energy future and will support economic growth and local food suppliers in southwest Ontario," said Lebeter. "With our strong history in building new transmission lines, we're focused on creating a new electricity network in the southwest that will bring a cascade of benefits including more jobs and economic growth, as well as equity investment opportunities for local First Nations that will generate revenues for generations to come."

Construction of the Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line will be completed by Voltage Power Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aecon Group Inc.

Aligned with Hydro One's commitment to source five percent of all purchases of materials and services from Indigenous businesses by 2026, a significant portion of the 49-kilometre line will include the purchases from qualified Indigenous businesses as subcontractors to Voltage.

The line will add approximately 400 megawatts of clean electricity to the region, which is enough power to supply a city the size of Windsor. It is expected to be in service by the end of 2025.

"The Chatham to Lakeshore line is an essential part of the plan for meeting the increasing electricity needs in the southwest," said Lesley Gallinger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). "Along with energy efficiency programs and innovative projects to reduce peak demand, it will be instrumental in supporting the ongoing economic growth in the region."

The IESO projects that energy demand in southwest Ontario will quadruple by 2035. The Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line is part of a network of infrastructure projects across southwest Ontario that will unlock the electrification potential of Ontario's economy to mitigate climate change and help address this forecasted demand.