With big electric vehicle battery plants coming and regional power demand expected to quadruple by 2035, Hydro One is getting out early to talk to residents, businesses, municipalities and First Nation communities about plans for a big new transmission project.
Public engagement sessions are underway on the utility’s plans to run two, single-circuit 500-kilovolt lines through Chatham-Kent between transformer stations at Longwood in Strathroy-Caradoc and Lakeshore in Essex County.
The first of the proposed new lines, which will boost transmission capacity by 550 megawatts – enough to power the city of London – wouldn’t be in service until 2030, but Hydro One is starting to discuss possible routes now, said Dan Levitan, vice -president of stakeholder relations.
“This is a very good news story for Southwestern Ontario,” he said. “The region is growing and we’re bringing more clean electricity to make sure we support that growth.”
The new Stellantis LGES battery plant being built in Windsor is a major reason for the transmission line project. That project, and Volkswagen’s planned electric vehicle battery “gigafactory” in St. Thomas, put area communities in a position to attract spin-off operations.
“These battery plants are going to bring economic development opportunities to Chatham-Kent and across Southwestern Ontario,” said Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, and it’s critical the power grid in Chatham-Kent and across the region expands so communities can accommodate new feeder plants and other facilities.
“Investments to increase the availability of clean electricity in Southwestern Ontario help increase our competitive edge for businesses looking to expand into North America,” Stephen Mackenzie, president of Invest WindsorEssex, said in a Hydro One release.
“Community support is extremely important to Hydro One,” said Levitan, adding they’re taking a “principled approach to early and transparent engagement” to get as much “local advice as possible.”
Levitan said a similar approach was used to determine a potential route for a 230-kilovolt double-circuit transmission line between Chatham and Lakeshore, which will provide about 400 megawatts and is expected to be ready by 2028.
Concerns were raised about that route, particularly about the potential impact of hydro towers on farmland.
“We learned a lot through that process,” said Levitan, and they are adapting their consultation process “to make sure we’re meeting residents where they live, we’re engaging with them in the way the want to engage.”
For the Longwoods to Lakeshore project, the utility will hold initial discussions with stakeholders and come back with some “route options” for more public comment before choosing a final route, he said.
“We’re at the very beginning. . . getting to know what residents. . . (and) businesses care about (and) working with Indigenous communities to develop those route options,” Levitan said.
Hydro One held its first community open houses in Thamesville, Glencoe and Mt. Brydges recently. Future sessions were planned for Comber Community Center March 29 and Chatham’s Active Lifestyle Center March 30, both at 5:30 pm
A virtual open house and live discussion will be held April 13 from 7 to 8 pm To register, go to longwoodtolakeshoreopenhouse.com.
Residents also can offer input online at HydroOne.com/Longwood-to-Lakeshore or by calling 1-877-345-6799.
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