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Home > In Your Community > New Projects > Transmission System Projects

Electricity Updates

New Projects

Transmission System Projects

Holland Transformer Station

What's New

Click on the thumbnail images below to see the most recent view of construction progress at the Holland Transformer Station site:
January 2008 - Prior to construction
February 29, 2008 - Construction started
February 29, 2008 - Further construction
April 2008 -
Construction continues
April 2008
April 2008
April 2008
April 2008

March 6, 2008 - Preliminary site preparation, grading and access road construction is progressing on schedule. Construction crews are diligently following Township construction regulations. Download the Final Class Environmental Assessment Study Report (PDF 11.4 MB) and Appendix K - Post Draft ESR Review Regulatory and Stakeholder Consultation and Correspondence (PDF 36.5 MB - high-speed Internet required).

February 15, 2008 - Construction on the transformer station began on February 4, 2008. The Meeting notes (PDF - 39 KB) and Hydro One's presentation (PDF - 790 KB) from the pre-construction Public Information Centre meeting on January 30, 2008 are now available for download.

February 6, 2008 - Information Panels from the pre-construction Public Information Centre meeting on January 30, 2008 are now available for download (PDF - 104 KB).

January 15, 2008 - Hydro One will hold a pre-construction Public Information Centre meeting on Wednesday, January 30, 2008. Read our letter to local residents and stakeholders for details (PDF - 408 KB). A map of the construction site is below:

Holland TS

June 7, 2007 - On June 7, 2007, the Minister of the Environment ruled that Hydro One's proposed Holland Transformer Station did not require an individual Environmental Assessment. However, the Minister set a number of conditions that must be met prior to the construction or operation of the station. To learn more about the next steps, skip down to the "Environmental Approval Process." To read about the project from the beginning, start at "Background" directly below.

Background
To address the growing electricity needs of northern York Region, the Ontario Energy Board has directed Hydro One to build a new transformer station in this area. The proposed station will improve reliability of electricity supply to customers in the Newmarket, Aurora, King Township, East Gwillimbury and Bradford/West Gwillimbury areas.

Presently, the electricity infrastructure serving northern York Region is limited to one double-circuit 230 kV transmission line and one transformer station (TS), Armitage TS. Peak demand for Armitage TS reached 375 MW during the summer of 2005. This demand exceeds the capacity to reliably supply customers. Growth in electricity demand in northern York Region is just over 3% per year with an additional 140 MW expected by 2015.

In 2005, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) reviewed the electricity load forecast for northern York region and examined supply alternatives for the growing area. Their short-term recommendations included aggressive conservation and demand management initiatives as well as installing a new 230/44kV transformer station in the vicinity of Holland Marsh Junction (see map below).

For more information and background on the York Region Initiative, see the full OPA York Region Recommendation and supporting documents on their website.

The Project
The Holland TS project is subject to provincial Environmental Assessment Act approval in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for Minor Transmission Facilities.

This project involves the construction of a 230/44 kilovolt (kV) transformer station on an approximate one hectare site, and distribution lines in the vicinity of the new station. The station will consist of two transformers and associated equipment necessary to step down electricity supplied by the adjacent high voltage 230 kV transmission line to 44 kV in order to be distributed to area homes and businesses.

The study area for the proposed station included areas of northern King Township and the Town of East Gwillimbury, and seven alternative sites (PDF - 3.6 MB) were evaluated. During the site evaluation process provincial and municipal government agencies and the local communities were consulted and their comments have been incorporated into the environmental assessment.

Site selection was based on:

  • Stakeholder input
  • Availability of property
  • Proximity to load growth areas
  • Length and location of distribution lines
  • Effects on natural environment
  • Effects on socio-economic environment
  • Technical and maintenance considerations
  • Costs

A preferred site for the new transformer station has been selected in King Township. The proposed site location is north of Millers Side Road, east of Dufferin Street (see map below).

Click to enlarge
(Click map to enlarge)

Public Information Centres
Hydro One will host a pre-construction Public Information Centre meeting on January 30, 2008 in an effort to keep the local community informed about the project:

Environmental Approval Process
The Class EA process falls under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (EAA), and must be consistent with the requirements set out in Part II.I. It is an effective way of ensuring that minor transmission projects that have a predictable range of effects are planned and carried out in a manner which is environmentally acceptable.

Following a consultation process with members of the public, government agencies and municipalities, a draft Environmental Study Report (ESR) is made available for stakeholder review and comment for a 30-day period. If there are no concerns expressed during the 30-day review period, the project is considered to be acceptable. The final ESR is filed with the Ministry of the Environment and approval is granted.

In the event there are concerns expressed prior or during the 30-day review period, Hydro One is obligated attempt to resolve the remaining concerns to complete the EA process. If Hydro One cannot satisfy all of the concerns, a bump-up to an Individual Environmental Assessment may be requested by a stakeholder. Hydro One will then consider whether a re-designation of the project is appropriate, and send its response, the draft ESR and the bump-up request to the Ministry of the Environment for a decision as to whether or not the project requires an Individual Environmental Assessment or if the project should be approved as proposed.

Hydro One filed its Draft Environmental Study Report on June 7, 2006. The Environmental Assessment Act requires that the report be readily available for study for a 30-day period that ended on July 6, 2006. Read the Class EA Notice of Completion Ad (PDF - 447 KB). In response to the Draft ESR, the Ministry of the Environment received twelve requests that the project should be required to comply with the standards of an Individual Environmental Assessment rather than a Class Environmental Assessment.

Based on these twelve letters of concern, Hydro One filed a modified Class Environmental Assessment Draft Environmental Study Report on September 5, 2006 to address concerns raised. On June 7, 2007, the Minister of the Environment ruled that the Holland Transformer Station did not require an Individual Environmental Assessment. However, the Minister imposed a number of conditions on Hydro One that must be satisfied prior to construction or operation of the station.

Conditions of Class EA approval
Hydro One is diligently pursuing the satisfaction of all the Minister's special conditions and anticipates that construction will begin in February/March 2008. These include:

  • A more detailed storm water management plan
  • More detailed documentation of air effects and noise abatement
  • A landscape plan developed with Ontario Nature, Ontario Heritage Trust, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and King Township
  • Proof that various commitments and mitigation measures have been carried out
  • Additional Environmental Study Report documentation
  • Extra care with any archaeological resources that may be discovered during construction
  • Additional reporting requirements.

Timeline - Holland Transformer Station

For more information, please contact:

 

 

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