Hydro One has been given the green light to construct three priority transmission lines linking Northern and Southern Ontario as part of Ontario’s efforts to become a leader in battery-electric vehicle manufacturing.
Announced this week, Energy Minister Todd Smith gave the go ahead to the Ontario Energy Board to amend Hydro One Networks Inc.'s (Hydro One) transmission license to develop and construct three new priority transmission lines to meet growing electricity demand in northeast and eastern Ontario.
“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 Smith in a news release. “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 designated priority projects are:
- The Mississagi to Third Line – an approximately 75 km, 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 km, 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 km, 230-kilovolt transmission line between either Cherrywood Transformer Station (Pickering) or Clarington Transformer Station (Oshawa) and Dobbin Transformer Station (Peterborough)
The three transmission projects “will support capacity constraints and growing electricity demands in sectors including transportation, mining, steel, and manufacturing,” the province said.
The Ontario government said Hydro One and First Nations have already been collaborating on early planning for the projects. First Nations will have the opportunity to invest in a 50-per-cent equity stake in the transmission line component of the projects once complete through Hydro One's Equity Partnership model.
“Ontario is building a strong end-to-end EV supply chain while attracting billions of dollars of investments in the automotive sector,” Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Vic Fedeli. “By expanding our electricity infrastructure, our government is ensuring we are well-positioned to power the jobs of tomorrow.”
To support the growing electricity demand, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has recommended that the three new transmission lines come into service no later than 2029.
