Ontario completes Chatham-Lakeshore transmission line ahead of schedule

A new electricity transmission line stretching between Chatham-Kent and Lakeshore, Ont., is complete, more than a year ahead of schedule, the Ontario government announced Monday. 

The 49-kilometre, 230-kilovolt line from the Chatham switching station to the new transformer station in the Municipality of Lakeshore will increase the reliability and resiliency of the grid and bring 400 megawatts of electricity to the Windsor-Essex region, according to a news release from the Ford government.

Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff thanked the province at a Monday news conference for the foresight to do the project. 

"You're looking at the future of Chatham-Kent and the whole region here," he said.

"If we didn't have this, we'd have a 'closed for business' sign up." 

The government's focus is on making sure businesses such as the new Stellantis-LG Energy Solutions NextStar battery plant and the growing greenhouse industry have access to reliable and affordable energy and remain competitive in the face of potential U.S. tariffs, said Stephen Lecce, minister of energy and electrification, in a news release. 

"When we're completing a project on time, it enables us to build public confidence to attract more investment," he told reporters at a Monday news conference to announce the completion of the project. 

Electricity demand in the Windsor-Essex region is expected to more than double over the next 20 years, the government said, driven largely by agricultural and industrial growth. 

It began constructing the new line, valued at approximately $237 million, in the spring of 2023. By finishing construction early, the project saved about $30 million dollars, the province said. 

"This line is the first of five new transmission lines in southwest Ontario that will support growth and security in our local supply chains and continue to make Ontario an attractive place to live and invest," said David Lebeter, president and chief executive officer of Hydro One, in the province's news release.

Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Trevor Jones said the project would create hundreds of well-paying jobs and provide a reliable foundation for clean energy development, while Essex MPP Anthony Leardi said the transmission line will bolster the greenhouse sector and help fuel economic growth. 

The line is part of a larger effort by Ontario to meet a rapidly growing need for energy, the province said. 

That effort includes developing an integrated energy plan, advancing nuclear power, building new transmission infrastructure, launching energy efficiency programs to keep costs down, and increasing competitive procurements.