Hydro One spending $150M to build new grid control centre in Orillia, Ont.
By On-Site Staff
ConstructionORILLIA, Ont.—After several years of uncertainty, Ontario utility Hydro One Inc. is moving ahead with construction on a major operations centre in Orillia, Ont.
The company said Sept. 23 it plans to spend $150 million to build the new grid control centre, which will oversee electricity distribution to local utilities throughout the province as well as Hydro One’s individual customers.
The new site has been in the works for several years, but an Ontario Energy Board (OEB) decision to halt Hydro One’s purchase of the city-owned Orillia Power Distribution Corp. caused some uncertainty about the building project. Hydro One announced a new plan to buy the local power distributor last September, though it still requires approval from the OEB.
The new grid control centre located in Orillia’s Horne Business Park will replace an existing facility in nearby Barrie, Ont. Hydro One plans to relocate between 150 and 250 employees to the Orillia site while retaining the Barrie facility as a back-up control centre.
Construction is scheduled to start later this year.
