Alectra Utilities says it intends to invest nearly $11.5 million in capital renewal projects across Barrie.

The utility says the improvements are aimed at enhancing reliability and meeting the city’s growing energy needs.

“The safety and reliability of electricity delivery to our customers is our highest priority,” said Chris Hudson, Senior Vice President of Operations, Alectra. “By investing in innovative technologies and modernizing our infrastructure, we are not only reducing the risk of power outages but also enhancing the resilience of Barrie’s energy grid to support future growth and development.”

The company is planning the following series of infrastructure upgrades:

• $3.6 million to replace aging infrastructure, such as poles, transformers, and switchgear,
• $3.4 million to replace and rehabilitate underground cables through cable injection technology,
• $3.5 million to connect new customers,
• $700,000 to modernize substations by replacing outdated controllers with automated switches, and
• $250,000 to deploy new automated devices across the network, enabling swift responses to grid disturbances, optimizing performance and minimizing the impact of potential disruptions on the community.

Alectra has allocated approximately $297 million in 2024 for capital improvements across the 17 communities it serves to renew aging equipment and install new infrastructure to handle growing demand.

The utility currently delivers power to more than one million homes and businesses and approximately 3 million people in across the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. It is the largest municipally owned electric utility in Canada.