Hydro One has chosen a route for its Longwood to Lakeshore transmission lines project.
Back in November 2024, the utility company identified five potential routes through the municipalities of Southwest Middlesex, Chatham-Kent, and Lakeshore.
A decision has since been made to go with the path that runs on the north side of the Thames River, Chatham, and Tilbury before reaching Lakeshore.
"[This route] has the least impact on residential and commercial properties and crosses fewer features with archaeological and cultural heritage potential," said Sonny Karunakaran, Hydro One’s Vice President of Strategic Projects and Partnerships.
Each of the five routes was evaluated through four different categories: environmental impacts, socio-economic impacts, Indigenous impacts, and cost. Karunakaran explained the chosen route came first in each category.
This project involves constructing two new single-circuit 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines between the Longwood Transformer Station in Strathroy-Caradoc and the Lakeshore Transformer Station in Lakeshore.
An Environmental Study Report (ESR) still needs to be done on the new route before construction can officially start. At this time, the first line is expected to be up and running by 2030 and provide enough electricity to power a city the size of London.
Karunakaran said they plan to keep an open dialogue throughout the process.
"We will work directly with impacted property owners, residents, and the communities along the route," he added.
This starts with several planned open houses. The first will be held virtually on May 15 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The next meetings will be in Chatham, June 4 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Tilbury, June 5 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Thamesville, June 11 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and Glencoe, June 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Exact locations can be found online.