Order in Council 1554/2024

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 the Government remains committed to ensuring Ontario has an affordable, reliable, and clean electricity system and 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 Ontario;

And whereas Ontario considers the expansion of the electricity network in Northeastern 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 a bulk planning report dated October 27, 2022, entitled the “Need for Northeast Bulk System Reinforcements”, which recommended a new transmission line running between the south of Wawa and Timmins region as the appropriate and cost-effective solution required to meet expected 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 line is needed as a priority project:

A new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line (built to 500 kV standards) from Wawa Transformer Station to Porcupine Transformer Station, including associated station facility expansions or upgrades required at these terminal stations.