Order in Council 1376/2025

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 Northern and Southern Ontario to support economic growth in the region, including the rapidly growing agricultural sector and the future and potential growth in the nuclear generation sector;

And whereas the Independent Electricity System Operator, the organization responsible for ensuring the reliability of Ontario’s electricity grid, provided its report back to the Ministry of Energy and Mines in December, 2024, entitled “Powering Ontario’s Growth Report Back: Transmission Development Plan” which identified and recommended several early actions the Government should take to advance transmission projects ahead of the completion of ongoing transmission studies underway, including the “South and Central Ontario Bulk Plan”. The Report Back recommended the development and construction of new transmission infrastructure to meet forecast electricity demand growth and identified potential future projects that may be needed depending on how growth materializes and where generation resources are located;

And whereas the Ministry of Energy and Mines has published its Integrated Energy Plan, Energy for Generations: Ontario’s Integrated Plan to Power the Strongest Economy in the G7, dated June 12, 2025, in which the Government signaled its plan to take actions designed to alleviate bottlenecks in Ontario’s electricity transmission system so power can be delivered where and when it is needed as recommended by the Independent Electricity System Operator.

And whereas the Government has determined that the development of the transmission projects should be undertaken by a transmitter that is best positioned to develop so the infrastructure expediently and on a timeline that supports economic growth and economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities;

And whereas the Government has determined that the preferred manner of proceeding is to require Hydro One Networks Inc. to undertake the development of the transmission projects, including taking any and all steps that are deemed to be necessary and desirable in order to seek required approvals and fulfilling, as part of the environmental assessment process and other applicable provincial permits and approvals, any procedural aspects of the Crown’s duty to consult potentially impacted Indigenous communities that may be delegated to it;

And whereas the Minister of Energy and Mines has, with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the authority to issue Directives pursuant to section 28.6.1 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, which relate to the construction, expansion or re-enforcement of transmission systems;

Now therefore the Directive attached hereto is approved and shall be and is effective as of the date hereof.

Directive