Chatham To Lakeshore Transmission Line Completed One Year Ahead Of Schedule

Hydro One has completed the construction on the Chatham to Lakeshore transmission line one year ahead of schedule.  This new line, valued at an estimated $237 million, will increase the reliability and resiliency of the grid and bring 400 megawatts (MW) of clean and affordable electricity to the Windsor-Essex Region, enough energy to power the entire City of Windsor.

According to Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator, electricity demand in the Windsor-Essex region is expected to more than double over the next 20 years, being driven largely by agricultural and industrial growth. A new transmission line provides certainty for growing industries, including the new Stellantis-LGES battery plant in Windsor.

Construction began in spring 2023 on the 49-kilometre, 230-kilovolt line between Chatham Switching Station in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and the new Lakeshore Transformer Station in the Municipality of Lakeshore. By completing the project early, Hydro One was able to reduce the cost of the project by approximately $30 million.

“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,” said David Lebeter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hydro One. “Electricity is the backbone of our economy. 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.”