Lecce, left, is joined by Lakeshore Mayor Tracey Bailey, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff and Hilda McDonald, warden of Essex County and mayor of Leamington.
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Hydro One’s new Chatham to Lakeshore Transmission Line has plugged in a year ahead of schedule.
Energized last month, the new line adds approximately 400 megawatts to the grid – enough to power the City of Windsor – in support of Southwestern Ontario’s agri-food and manufacturing industries.
Ontario Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce, along with other dignitaries, made a special trip to Chatham-Kent on Monday to unveil the $237-million line, pointing out its early finish has saved $30 million.
Lecce, who oversaw Ontario’s recently approved Energy Affordability Act, stressed that when a project is on time and under budget, it boosts public confidence.
According to Lecce, the southwest region is seeing “explosive” growth – double the provincial average – with officials predicting the region’s demand for electricity will rise by approximately 75 per cent by 2050.
“We have massive energy demand in this region,” Lecce stated, a result what he called the “good work” of municipal councils and the province collaborating to attract and retain investment.
“We are working together to ensure rural Ontario is a viable place to live and work,” the minister said. “It’s good news for growth, good news for jobs and good news for our farmers too.”
Lecce said the line, one of 10 that’s being built in Ontario, strengthens the government’s goal of providing clean power while curbing costs that ballooned under the Liberal government.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff thanked the province for its foresight in preparing for future power demands.
“You’re looking at the future of Chatham-Kent and the whole region,” the mayor said. “We’re going to quadruple the demand in the next 15 to 20 years. If we didn’t have this, we’d have a closed-for-business sign up.”
Construction of the 49-kilometre 230-kilovolt line from Hydro One’s Chatham switching station to the Lakeshore transmission station was completed by Aecon Power Services. The work began in 2023.
David Lebeter, Hydro One president and CEO, said the early completion was a joint effort.
“This project is a shining example of what we can achieve when we collaborate and work together with Indigenous communities, the province, municipalities, residents and landowners to deliver critical electricity infrastructure projects,” Lebeter said.
Another aspect of the new line is Hydro One’s commitment to working with local Indigenous communities. Under the utility’s 50-50 equity partnership model, five First Nations were offered the opportunity to invest in a 50 per cent equity stake in the transmission line component of the project.
A significant portion of the work included services and material purchased from qualified Indigenous businesses and suppliers, a utility spokesperson said.
