Order in Council 1663/2025

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 Ontario to support economic growth in the region, including the rapidly growing mining sectors and the future and potential growth in the hydroelectric generation sector;

And whereas Ontario considers the expansion of the electricity network in Northern 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 provided its report back to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, entitled “Powering Ontario’s Growth Report Back: Transmission Development Plan”, dated December 17, 2024, 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 “Northern Ontario Bulk Plan”. The report back recommended early development work be completed for two new single-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission lines from Essa Transformer Station near Barrie to Hanmer Transformer Station in Sudbury, and the construction of one of the single-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission lines in the near term as the appropriate transmission solution that it recommends to meet forecast electricity demand growth and system needs;

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 that power can be delivered where and when it is needed as recommended by the Independent Electricity System Operator;

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 of the transmission line 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:

1. One new single-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission line from the Essa Transformer Station to the Hanmer Transformer Station, including associated station facility expansions or upgrades required at terminal stations.