Transmission line between Essex County and Chatham-Kent ahead of schedule

Chatham-Lakeshore power line What is the progress of the much needed hydro line from Chatham to Lakeshore? CTV Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco has an update.

According to Hydro One, the construction of the 400-mega watt hydro transmission line between Essex County and Chatham-Kent is moving along rapidly and could be done a year ahead of schedule.

The development of this project began in 2020 and entered the construction phase in the spring of 2023.

“It worked out very well and it's a good example of a project that runs very well when all of the parties are aligned,” said Sonny Karunakaran, VP of Strategic Projects and Partnerships.

So far, 16 transmission towers have been assembled. When the project is done, there will be over 170 electricity pylons.

The project will help power Windsor's EV plant and help add extra capacity, resiliency and reliability to the region.

“Our economy in Southwestern Ontario is growing significantly,” Chatham-Kent mayor Darren Canniff emphasized. “We need these power lines so ya, you see construction going on in Chatham-Kent now. They're building them and that's the first of many projects.”

Forecasts suggest the need for power will quadruple in the next 10 years.

“It's roughly 500 megawatts today. It's gonna go over 2,000 megawatts by 2035,” Karunakaran said.

Hydro One is in the development phase for a power line connecting Chatham-Kent and Lambton.

“Over the next 10 years there'll be five transmission lines coming through Chatham-Kent in some way shape or form,” Canniff pointed out.

In the coming months more hydro towers will go up along the 49-km transmission line. In the spring crews will begin stringing the wires.

“And the work that goes on in the stations would move forward into a testing phase and really ready to energize the entire asset,” Karunakaran said.