Enbridge Gas has officially launched its $358-million Panhandle Regional Expansion Project.
Aimed at boosting the region’s energy capacity, the initiative will see 19 new kilometres of pipeline constructed, parallelling the existing pipeline in Enbridge’s Panhandle Transmission System.
The build, aimed at increasing a reliable and cleaner energy supply, is expected to support 7,000 jobs while enabling an estimated $4.5 billion of investment growth.
Both Premier Doug Ford and Energy and Electrification Minister Stephen Lecce were on hand in Leamington recently to mark the milestone.
“Our government is continuing to secure the reliable and affordable energy that is critical to our plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy, keep costs down for families and build homes across the province” Ford said. “This project will help deliver that reliable energy supply, and, in the process, create good-paying jobs, support our world-leading greenhouse sector and power Ontario’s economic growth for many years to come.”
In his comments, Lecce said the government’s continued priority is to deliver affordable energy to Ontario families.
“Our population is growing, and the economy is electrifying, which underscores why our government is determined to generate more clean and reliable energy to drive our growth,” he said.
The Panhandle Regional Expansion Project is part of the province’s efforts to meet Ontario’s growing energy demands. As outlined in the Powering Ontario’s Growth document, the province has also secured Ontario’s largest clean energy storage procurement, investing more than $1 billion in energy efficiency programs. The government is supporting the continued safe operation of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and is also building Canada’s first grid-scale small modular reactor.
The Panhandle Transmission System currently serves residential, commercial, industrial, greenhouse and power generation customers in Dawn-Euphemia, St. Clair Township, Chatham-Kent, Windsor, Lakeshore, Leamington, Kingsville, Essex, Amherstburg, LaSalle and Tecumseh.
The project has a targeted in-service date of Nov. 1, with additional construction to be completed in 2025.
- With files from the Southpoint Sun
