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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-199-91 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE DN: SUDBURY.GPA REPORT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee File# Date: Monday, September 9, 1991 Res. # By-Law# Report M PD-199-91 File#: PLN 26 . 8 Subject: SUDBURY TO TORONTO AREA TRANSMISSION STUDY FILE: PLN 26.8 Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report PD-199-91 be received for information. 1. At its meeting of July 15, 1991, Council received for information correspondence from Ontario Hydro with regard to the Sudbury to Toronto Area Transmission Reinforcement Study. This is an environmental assessment study to recommend locations for new transmission facilities to improve the supply of electricity across a broad area of central Ontario. The scope of the study and requirements for these new facilities are described in more detail in the attached newsletter. 2 . Ontario Hydro staff have identified a need for new transmission facilities by 2002 to ensure an adequate, reliable and secure electrical system for the future. In particular, Ontario Hydro states that new lines and transformer/switching stations will be required to: transfer power from the proposed priority supply resources in northern Ontario to the southern Ontario load centre, as well as allow power transfers from the south to the north when needed; ensure a reliable supply to meet rapidly growing customer demand in the northeast portion of the Greater Toronto Area; and �. �� j PAPER PAyloA ! i RE- iH.S Is PRIMED ON RECYCLED PAPER REPORT PD-199-91 PAGE 2 - maintain the reliability and security of the electricity supply across the province through the Bulk Electricity System. 3 . Over the next two and one-half years an Ontario Hydro study team will be collecting and evaluating detailed technical, environmental, socio-economic and other relevant information to assist in identifying locations for major new transmission and transformer station facilities . A part of the public consultation component of the study will be the establishment of several external study review groups composed of representatives of planning organizations and interest groups. These groups will work closely with the Hydro study team to assist with the identification of preferred route and site locations for the proposed new facilities. Ontario Hydro has requested that the Town participate in the Planner Review Group for the Greater Toronto Area (south of Lake Simcoe) . The Study Area and the various review groups is indicated on Attachment #2 . David Crome, Manager of the Strategic Planning Branch will be the Town's representative on the Review Group. There will be a series of meetings commencing this month and running through until late 1993 . Staff representation on the Review Group will ensure us a continuous role of monitoring the Study. Periodic reports will be presented to Council as the study progresses . Respectfully submitted, Recommended for presentation to the Committee p 1 Franklin Wu, M.C. I .P. Lawrence IEL Kotseff DIrector of Planning Chief Admi 'strative and Development Officer DC*FW*ld *Attach � 12 August 1991 ATTACHMENT #1 project news letter Newsletter#1 June 1991 S T R SUDBURY TO TORONTO AREA TRANSMISSION REINFORCEMENT STUDY Study Begins to Identify K.—TS y Legend Locations for Proposed Sudbu • ® Preliminary Study Area . , • Preliminary Transmission Facilities Study Area Boundary (Lake a Musk.Lake es reg • and the Muskoka La.es reg� are excluded hom the study 7' SL Charles Ontario Hydro has begun an environmen- . Transformer Stations(TS) tal assessment study to recommend locations / turgea�s G General. ,stations(GS) for new transmission facilities to improve the ' �' NOT TO SCALE supply of electricity across a broad area of Noelville • L a k e .central Ontario. • N i p i s s i n g North Bay R4 xx New high voltage transmission lines are proposed between the Sudbury area and the ' north and east fringes of the greater Toronto urban area.New transformer or switching 69 „ stations are also proposed northeast and: - Lek northwest of the Toronto area to connect Sundrldge these lines into the existing transmission sys- ,] ; tern. These new facilities would enable Hydro , •Burk'S Fags Parry Sound to supply additional power from northern G E O R G I A N f Ontario to the Province's main population B A y -and industrial centres,and to strengthen the Huntsville existing transmission system. `" 6..... The study-will involve gathering and • °"'" • 69 ta,a• � evaluating environmental,technical and socio-economic information in the study : Bracebridge area. (Please refer to the map.)In addition, IA meetings will be arranged with local officials, Midland ' Gravenhurst N .,° government ministries and agencies, aboriginal organizations and First Nations xx peoples,representatives of environmental ••• ' and community interests and the general Barrie Orillia Ex.TS public to consider the views of all potentially '° Lake „ affected or interested parties. Simcoe 0 The study,to be conducted over the next � re three years,is subject to the full requirements AII'slon•. t rd saj 9e e` of the Environmental Assessment Act.Its ' Tottenham• 12 . •r' findings and recommendations will be docu- ► <r a ket • . M ♦ Scgog mented in an Environmental Assessment . Au o a • Peterborough report and submitted to the Minister of the Woodbridge Claremont•. Port Perry Environment for public review under the En- Clai-114 TS (Gatlin ton GS vironmental Assessment Act. oat awa ' Bowman Ile Pon Hope Lake Ontario J % % Meeting Ontario's rights-of-way will include new 230 kV transmis- sion lines to connect the new facilities into the Electricity Needs existing electric power system. Ontario Hydro's priority in meeting the A number of alternative combinations of trans- province's electricity needs is to help Ontario's mission lines and transformer/switching stations residents,businesses and industries use electricity that satisfy the need for these new facilities will be more efficiently,while caring for the environment identified and reviewed during the environmental and involving the public in planning for the fu- study.In addition to nevv overhead transmission ture. lines,the study will also consider alternatives such as consolidations on existing rights-of-way, Hydro is working with the Ministry of Energy and use of underground and submarine cable to encourage the saving of electricity,and is invest- transmission. ing billions of dollars in energy efficiency incen- tives and other programs. These efforts,the most comprehensive of any Why are the New utility in North America,are already slowing the Facilities Needed? growth in electricity demand,which has averaged over five percent annually through the last half of the 1980s. I Power from the North But a growing population will mean continued A significant portion of the additional power growth in electricity use through the 1990s and needed in Ontario in the future is expected to beyond.In addition,the anticipated retirement of come from proposed new hydro-electric,plants older generating stations is increasing the need to in northern Ontario and purchases from provide new supplies of electric power. Manitoba. The new transmission lines and transformer/ Hydro's first priority in providing additional switching stations proposed in this study will sources of electricity in Ontano.is the develop- . play an important role in enabling Hydro to adapt ment of the province's remaining hydro=electric to these changes.They will help ensure that sites,many of which are located in the.North. Ontario's homes and businesses continue to be provided with an affordable and reliable supply Hydro is proposing to build new generating sta- of electricity. lions on the Little Jackfish and Mattagami rivers, and develop six other sites in the Moose River Basin of northern Ontario.This is in addition to What .Options Are Being the refurbishment of stations already operating in Considered? the Basin:These proposed projects are subject to approval by the Environmental Assessment Board Over the past year Hydro has conducted which is now conducting a hearing into Hydro's preliminary technical and environmental studies Demand Supply Plan for meeting Ontario's on the needed transmission facilities. Based on electricity needs over the next 25 years. these studies,Hydro proposes to establish a new At the same time,private companies are being 500,000 volt(500 kV)transmission right-of-way encouraged to develop smaller hydro-electric sites from the Sudbury area to a new transformer sta- and to produce surplus power from their in- tion northeast of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). dustrial processes to sell to Hydro. This new transformer station would be con- Combined,these projects could more than nected by 500 kV transmission lines on new rights- double the electrical power that is currently of-way to existing'500 kV lines to the east and , generated in northern Ontario. In addition,Hydro west of Toronto,terminating at existing or new plans to purchase up to 1,500 megawatts of transformer/switching stations.Sections of these electricity from Manitoba Hydro beginning in the '_5 9 1 . year 2000. All these supply proposals are subject public Consultation Key to approval by the Ontario government. The existing transmission lines connecting Consultation with government officials,First northern Ontario to the province's industrial and Nations and aboriginal groups,interest groups population centres will be unable to reliably trans- and local residents will play an important role in mit this additional power.This situation will be this study.Regular newsletters will be sent to all improved by 1997 when the capability of the exist- interested groups and individuals.Information ing 500 kV lines is increased. centres will be scheduled at key stages for the However,even with this improvement,addi- public to meet with the study staff,exchange infor- tional transmission facilities will be required.The matron and participate in the planning process. proposed new lines between the Sudbury and The involvement of the public throughout the Toronto areas would solve this problem,while in study will assist the study team to evaluate infor- creasing the ability to transfer power to customers mation and identify possible locations for the in the north during periods of low electricity proposed facilities.The public will be encouraged production (ie.,low-,tivater flow)in the region. to contact the study team at any time. 2 Supplying the Greater The Environmental Study Toronto Area Construction of new transmission lines and process transformer/switching stations north of Toronto would help meet the increasing energy needs of This study is expected to continue for a period the rapidly expanding communities that lie on the of two and one half years before preferred route fringes of Metropolitan Toronto. and site locations are identified.Hydro's study staff will spend much of this time identifying and Communities in York and Durham Regions analyzing the potential effects of the proposed north and east of Toronto are among the fastest lines and transformer/switching stations on the growing in Canada.The GTA is expanding on environment,communities and residents.. average by more than 1,000 new residents each week. With the assistance of government ministries and agencies,municipalities,aboriginal repre- ? Reliability and Security o f sentatives,interested organizations,community J Supply groups,residents and others,Hydro will collect in- formation on natural resources,cultural,environ- Ontaria Hydro operates a high voltage bulk mental and land use features within the study transmission system that makes it possible to move electric power when needed from one end area. of the province to the other and across neighbour- The study staff will meet with provincial qnd ing provincial and national boundaries. municipal planning officials and representatives Due to the rate of growth in population and of interested organizations to review this informa- energy demand over the past decade,existing lion and the relative importance of avoiding these resources,land uses and other features.These"im- Central Ontario and in the GTA have become a north-south and east-west transmission lines in portance ratings"will be used to prepare "con- straint maps"on which transmission corridors weak link in the system.This problem is increas- and transformer/switching station zones are iden- ing as the population and resulting electricity tified needs continue to grow. Building new transmission corridors would The purpose of the zones and corridors is to narrow down the area being studied by eliminat- strengthen the existing system and also reduce the ing the higher constraint or less suitable areas, likelihood of disruptions of service across much of while retaining the lower constraint areas for fur- Ontario in the event of equipment failure or ther study. severe weather. be compared and preferred routes and sites Major Events identified. Finally,an analysis of the overall transmission system plan will be completed. June 1991 Route& Site Selection The complete route and site selection process Study Begins will be documented in a detailed Environmental Oct. 1993 Recommended Routes&Sites Assessment,which will be submitted to the Mini- ster of the Environment in 1994 for review under Environmental Assessment the Environmental Assessment Act following Mid- 1994 Report Submitted to completion of the main Demand Supply Plan Minister of the Environment hearing. The decision on which new facilities,if any,are to be bsilt and their location will be subject to a fu- Early 1996 Public Hearings Begin ture hearing by a Consolidated Hearings Board. Hearings Board Decision Approvals will then be requested under the Early 1997 &Government Confirmation Power Corporation Act to permit the acquisition of property rights,construction,operation and Property Acquisition maintenance of the new transmission facilities. The planned in-service date for the initial facilities Mid=1997 &Construction p Begin is 2002. Call Us Collect 2002 ln-Service(First Line) Your views on this project are important to us.If you have any questions or comments kiiii:iii:: ii:i.:i<j!}i::i::::i;:i:i:}i$:{ about the study,please contact one of the com- munity relations officers listed below: More detailed information will then be gathered and mapped within the corridors and For the Sudbury to Greater Toronto Area zones.This data,together with information from Mr.Jim Shewchuk the planning and interest groups,local officials, Senior Community Relations Officer aboriginal representatives,residents and others Ontario Hydro will be used to assist Hydro to identify alternative 700 University Avenue,8th Floor transmission routes and transformer/switching Toronto,Ontario station sites. M5G 1X6 The alternative routes and sites represent the phone(416)592-4092 more suitable locations for the transmission lines For the Greater Toronto Area and transformer/switching stations to minimize (south of Lake Simcoe) potential impacts on nearby residents and the en- Ms.Barton Sala vironment. Senior Community Relations Officer During key stages in the study the cor- Ontario Hydro ridors/zones and alternative routes/sites will be 700 university Avenue,8th Floor displayed on aerial photographs and maps for Toronto,Ontario public review and comment at series of informa- M5G 1X6 p phone(416) 592-7842 q� tion centres. The evaluation of the alternative routes and FAX users please sites will be based on environmental,socio- call(416)592-8890. Sao economic and technical considerations,and the in- (Ce bulletin est aussi volvement of the public.The alternatives will then disponible en franpais) Printed on recypleo naper. 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