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 Southwestern Ontario to support economic growth in the region, including the rapidly growing agricultural sector and the potential for growth in the electric vehicle and broader automotive sectors;

And whereas Ontario considers the expansion of the electricity network in Southwestern Ontario to support economic growth 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 June 13, 2019, entitled the “Need for Bulk Transmission Reinforcement in the Windsor-Essex Region, which recommended a new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line west of Chatham as the appropriate solution required to meet expected demand growth and system needs; and
  2. A bulk planning report dated September 23, 2021, entitled the “Need for Bulk System Reinforcements West of London,” which recommended a new 230 kV transmission line from Lambton to Chatham and a new 500 kV transmission line between Longwood and Lakeshore as the appropriate solutions to meet forecast electricity demand growth

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 kV electricity transmission line from the existing Chatham Switching Station to the new Lakeshore Transformer Station, as described in the Minister’s Directive issued to the Ontario Energy Board on December 17, 2020, as approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council pursuant to Order in Council No. 1499/2020 dated November 5, 2020;
  2. A new 230 kV electricity transmission line from Lambton Transformer Station to Chatham Switching Station as described in clause 1 of sub-paragraph 1 i of the Minister’s Directive to the Ontario Energy Board, as approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council pursuant to Order-in-Council No.875/2022 dated March 31,2022; and
  3. A new 500 kV electricity transmission line from Longwood Transformer Station to Lakeshore Transformer Station as described in clause 2 of sub-paragraph 1 i of the Minister’s Directive to the Ontario Energy Board, as approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council pursuant to Order-in-Council No.875/2022 dated March 31, 2022.
Ministry of Energy

Approved and Ordered: March 31, 2022