Hydro One is hosting two virtual community open house sessions for the new St. Clair Transmission Line to share details about the project, answer questions and gather community feedback.
As part of the Class Environmental Assessment, Hydro One has identified five viable route alternatives for the new transmission line. Officials ask for public feedback.
The live discussions will be held on March 9 and 10 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“It takes years to build electricity infrastructure, and Hydro One is committed to ensuring power is available in the southwest region when and where it is needed,” said Daniel Levitan, vice-president of stakeholder relations for Hydro One, in a media release. “Indigenous community knowledge and regional insight are critical to the success of this project. We are committed to ensuring local feedback is reflected every step of the way.”
This new St. Clair Transmission Line will be located between the Lambton Transformer Station in Lambton County and the Chatham switching station.
This project is part of a network of infrastructure projects identified in the region by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), the organization responsible for planning for the province’s future energy needs.
According to the IESO, agricultural electricity demand in the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent areas is expected to quadruple by 2035. This project will help meet the rapidly growing electricity demand in the area.
The new transmission line is expected to add 400 megawatts of power to the area – the equivalent to a city the size of Waterloo, supporting local food supply and security, economic development, and job creation.
