The provincial government has directed the Ontario Energy Board to amend Hydro One’s transmission license to allow for the construction of three new transmission lines in northeast and eastern Ontario.

The lines aim to meet the needs of new and growing industries and help attract future jobs to the regions. 

Hydro One and First Nations have been collaborating on early planning and will advance the development and construction phases of the projects together. Regional are being given the opportunity to invest in a 50% equity stake in the transmission line component.

“Hydro One is pleased to work with Indigenous communities in the region and the government of Ontario to build these critical infrastructure projects that will help unlock Ontario’s clean energy future,” said David Lebeter, president and CEO, Hydro One. “With our long history of building and operating transmission lines in the province, we are confident that our resilient electricity network will enable unprecedented investments in the clean energy value chain, including clean steelmaking, mining, manufacturing and other sectors creating new jobs and driving Ontario’s competitive advantage.”

The lines will support capacity constraints and growing electricity demands in sectors including transportation, mining, steel, and manufacturing.

"We're building a made-in-Ontario supply chain that's connecting the province's critical minerals and clean steel in the north, to auto makers and battery manufacturers across Ontario," said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. "These three new transmission lines will power that vision, helping to electrify Algoma Steel's conversion to electric arc furnace as well as new homes, critical mineral development, and other job creators in northeast and eastern Ontario."

The three projects are:

• the Mississagi to Third Line – an approximately 75-kilometre, 230-kilovolt transmission line between Mississagi Transformer Station (west of Sudbury) and Third Line Transformer Station (Sault Ste. Marie)
• the Hanmer to Mississagi Line – an approximately 205-kilometre, 500-kilovolt transmission line between Hanmer Transformer Station (Greater Sudbury) and Mississagi Transformer Station (west of Sudbury)
• the Greater Toronto Area East Line – an approximately 50-kilometre, 230-kilovolt transmission line between either Cherrywood Transformer Station (Pickering) or Clarington Transformer Station (Oshawa) and Dobbin Transformer Station (Peterborough)

The Independent Electricity System Operator has recommended that the lines come into service no later than 2029.