Hydro One completes improvements to transmission system in Ottawa

Hydro One has completed upgrades to its transmission system in Ottawa, which it says will improve resiliency and reliability in the city.

The $46.9 million dollar project will support population growth by allowing more power to flow into the region and improve climate change resiliency, according to the power company.

12 kilometres of transmission line, between two critical sub stations in Ottawa, Merivale Transmission and Hawthorne Transmission, will increase electric capacity by 66 per cent, from 650 megawatts to 1,080 megawatts.

"This will allow more flow of electricity and clean energy from across Ontario, as well as Quebec,” said executive vice president of Hydro One, Andrew Spencer.

The announcement was made Thursday at the Merivale Transmission station which was hit hard by the tornadoes that hit the region in 2018.

Hydro One says it is making progress on modernizing the station.

“It's very important to Hydro One that we continue to invest in the electricity grid. So, we’re replacing old end-of-life equipment, but we’re also looking at opportunities to expand to the latest standards- ensuring they’re reliable and resilient," said Spencer.

"Climate change is affecting all of us, and we’re ready to make sure the electricity system is there for us when we need it."

Severe weather has had an impact on the power grid in Ottawa in recent years.

“Having a more robust transmission infrastructure here in Ottawa will allow us to mitigate some risk under certain climate events,” said Guillaume Paradis, Hydro Ottawa's chief electricity distribution officer.

The project to modernize the Merivale Transmission station will also expand the current footprint.

“We're projecting to see our population increase by 40 percent over the next 40 years," said Ottawa City Councillor Sean Devine.

"They’re all going to need power."