Toronto’s west end getting a significant power upgrade

Rendering of Eglinton Crosstown project (CNW Group/Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships)

TORONTO – Hydro One and Toronto Hydro announced a significant investment in Toronto’s electricity infrastructure in the city’s west end. The work, which began in June, will go through to December 2018 and the project will contribute to powering Toronto’s growth for years to come.

This critical project includes upgrading Hydro One’s existing Runnymede Transformer Station and 10 km of nearby transmission power lines. It will also help drive the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history by providing a reliable source for the electrified Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

“As a result of mass transit expansion, new development and population growth, Toronto is seeing shifts in demand for electricity today and for the future,” said Anthony Haines, President and CEO, Toronto Hydro Corporation. “This project is necessary to ensure Toronto Hydro – through Hydro One’s supply – is able to continue to meet the needs of all our customers and renew the system for the next generation.”

Toronto Hydro is investing about $60 million in this upgrade to Hydro One’s transmission grid serving the west end of the city. Thousands of residents and businesses in Toronto will directly benefit from the upgrades through greater capacity for growth, better reliability and resiliency against outages on the distribution system. Toronto Hydro attributes 40 per cent of outages in the city to aging equipment. As the power grid in Toronto is interconnected, the work being done in the west end will help electricity flow to the entire city.

“As the critical infrastructure for reliable electricity for all Ontarians, Hydro One’s high voltage transmission system is built to fuel future industry and population growth,” said Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO, Hydro One Limited. “Hydro One has developed a robust and extensive plan to maximize community benefits while minimizing impacts of this and future infrastructure projects.”

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
In order to safely conduct work on overhead wires, Toronto Hydro and Hydro One will need to close approximately one-third of the parking spaces in the commuter lots at Kipling and Islington TTC Stations, beginning in mid-September for approximately four to six weeks. Measures are in place to conduct this work safely, responsibly and with the minimum disruption possible.

“We understand construction can be disruptive. Hydro One is committed to using all the resources at its disposal to ensure we are communicating construction timelines and updates to the community as frequently as we can. We want to give commuters notice before Metropasses go on sale this week,” said Natalie Poole-Moffatt, Vice President, Customer and Corporate Affairs, Hydro One. “Crews will be working at the TTC stations from dawn until dusk. A typical project of this nature could take several months; however, Hydro One will be using every available crew to complete the project as safely and quickly as possible within four to six weeks.”

For more information about the project, timelines, construction maps and updates, visit www.PowerWestToronto.ca or follow @PowerWestTO on Twitter. Commuters can also use Triplinx.ca to help plan their trip.

It should be noted that if September is a particularly hot month, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) might require Hydro One to delay the start of this work due to the additional electricity demand.

SOURCE Hydro One Inc.