Order in Council 1531/2023

On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, by and with the advice and concurrence of the Executive Council of Ontario, orders that:

Whereas Ontario considers it critical to expand Ontario’s transmission system to provide a reliable and adequate supply of electricity to support economic growth and electrification initiatives throughout Northeastern and Eastern Ontario;

And whereas Ontario considers the expansion of the electricity network in Northeastern and Eastern Ontario to support economic growth and electrification to be a priority;

And whereas the Independent Electricity System Operator, the organization responsible for ensuring the reliability of Ontario’s electricity grid, has published:

1. A bulk planning report dated October 27, 2022, entitled the “Need for Northeast Bulk System Reinforcements”, which recommended a new transmission line running between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury and a new transmission line in the Sudbury region as the appropriate solution required to meet expected demand growth and system needs; and
2. A bulk planning report dated December 8, 2022, entitled the “Gatineau Corridor End-of-Life

Study” which recommended a new transmission line between the Peterborough region and the Oshawa/Pickering area as the appropriate solution to meet forecast electricity demand growth and system needs.

And whereas the Lieutenant Governor in Council may make an order under section 96.1 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 (the “Act”) declaring that the construction, expansion or reinforcement of an electricity transmission line specified in the order is needed as a priority project;

And whereas an order under section 96.1 of the Act requires the Ontario Energy Board, in considering an application under section 92 of the Act in respect of an electricity transmission line specified in the order, to accept that the construction, expansion or reinforcement is needed when forming its opinion under section 96 of the Act;

Now therefore it is hereby declared pursuant to section 96.1 of the Act that the construction, expansion or reinforcement of the following electricity transmission lines are needed as priority projects:

1. A new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Mississagi Transformer Station to Third Line Transformer Station, including associated station facility expansions or upgrades required at the terminal stations;
2. A new 500 kV transmission line from Mississagi Transformer Station to Hanmer Transformer Station, including associated station facility expansions or upgrades required at the terminal stations; and

A new 230 kV transmission line from Dobbin Transformer Station to either Cherrywood Transformer Station or Clarington Transformer Station, including associated station facility expansions or upgrades required at the terminal stations.