Region's power supply needs to quadruple to meet expected demand from greenhouse industry

Hydro One will need to quadruplethe power supply to the Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent area over the next 15 years to meet the expected electricity demand from expanding greenhouseoperations, according to theindependent manager of Ontario's power grid.

The Independent Electricity System Operator(IESO) is recommending a transmission line project that could cost between $210 and $290-million be built between Lambton and Chatham.

"It would be like building a city the size of Ottawa in that area," saidChuck Farmer, senior director of power system planning with theIESO.

"I haven't seen, personally, a region with the kind of consistent growth that this one has," said

Farmer said the greenhouse operations in the region are seeing an unparalleled rate of expansion, pushed by growing conditions favourable for growing vegetables and cannabis.

He said there's a concentrated area around Leamington, Dresden andKingsville that requires about 500MW of electricity, which through conversations with local stakeholders, Farmer expects to jump to 2000MW by the mid-2030s.

A pair of options were studied:building a new generation facility in the area or buildinga transmission line from a facility in Lambton.

Farmer said the cost effective option was a transmission line, but did not rule out a generation facility coming onlinein the future.

The project would be completed by Hydro One, with consultations starting this week. Those community consultations will continue as the design and scope of the project is being considered.

The IESObelieves there's enough power supply for the region now and should be able to sustain growthuntil 2028, at which pointthe transmission line - if approved -should be completed.