Hydro One has announced its preferred route for the St. Clair Transmission Line.
The preferred route, which was announced on Monday morning, will run from just south of Courtright to southeast of Chatham, will use 80 per cent of existing transmission corridors and will upgrade an existing transmission line.
The route chosen was one of five options that Hydro One was looking at for the line, which will be approximately 60 kilometres long when completed.
Hydro One said the preferred route will have the least impact on the natural environment, agricultural lands, and operations. The option chosen will also involve an upgrade of the Wallaceburg Transformer Station on Baseline Road. Hydro One said the upgrade to the transformer station will increase the transmission reliability and resilience in the Wallaceburg area.
“Through our engagement efforts, we heard that minimizing effects to homes, maximizing the use of existing transmission corridors, and considering effects to agriculture operations and species at risk were important. (The chosen preferred route) Route 2 was able to achieve all of this,” said Sonny Karunakaran, director of project delivery at Hydro One.
The St. Clair Transmission Line upgrade is one of five transmission line projects on the go in the area. Economic growth, such as electric vehicle manufacturing and agriculture projects are powering the need for upgraded electrical infrastructure in the area. It’s estimated that the energy demand in southwest Ontario will quadruple by 2035.
“What we are trying to do at Hydro One is to make sure that we have got the power system to back up that economic growth,” Karunakaran said.
The proposed St. Clair Transmission Line will bring enough energy to the region to power a city the size of Waterloo.
The line is expected to be in service by 2028.
There will be three open houses in the area to be held later this month to discuss the proposed route for the St. Clair Transmission Line. The open houses will give residents a chance to learn more about how the route was selected and to provide feedback on the project.
The times, dates and places for the open houses include:
- Monday, June 26 from 2-8 p.m. at Brigden Fairgrounds.
- Tuesday, June 27 from 2-8 p.m. at the UAW Local 251 Hall in Wallaceburg
- Wednesday, June 28 from 2-8 p.m. at the Kent Belgian Centre in Chatham
