Order in Council 1664/2025

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 Government has signed a bilateral Shared Prosperity Agreement with Aroland First Nation, dated January 28, 2025, in which the Government committed to bringing forward a proposal that would, subject to receiving all necessary approvals, support the development of the Greenstone Transmission Line;

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. A new single-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line, designed to support a second circuit, that will run from existing 230-kilovolt infrastructure (the East-West Tie) near Nipigon Bay to a new 230-kilovolt station that connects with the existing 115-kilovolt circuit near Longlac Transformer Station, and extending to or near to Aroland First Nation, terminating at a new Switching Station and associated station facilities.