Ontario Energy Board selects transmitter for East-West Tie Line development work

TORONTO, Aug. 7, 2013 /CNW/ - The Ontario Energy Board has chosen Upper Canada Transmission Inc. as the transmitter to complete development work for the East-West Tie Line. The East-West Tie Line is a major new electricity transmission line in Northwestern Ontario. Upper Canada Transmission Inc. is a partnership of NextEra Energy Canada (a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC), Enbridge Inc. and Borealis Infrastructure Management.

The Board held a public hearing to select the designated transmitter from six competing proposals.

The East-West Tie Line is intended to improve the reliability of electricity supply in Northwestern Ontario by increasing the amount of electricity that can be transfered between the transmission system in the Northwest and the rest of Ontario. The line will be approximately 400 km long and run between Thunder Bay and Wawa. The Ministry of Energy identified the East-West Tie Line as a priority project in its Long Term Energy Plan.

Quick Facts:

• The Board conducted the designation process to encourage competition in transmission service in Ontario, and to drive economic efficiency for the benefit of ratepayers.

• Designation does not mean the East-West Tie Line will be built. Upper Canada Transmission Inc. must complete the development work and bring an application to the Board for approval to construct the line.  Another public hearing will be held at that time.
  
  
• Upper Canada Transmission Inc. has authority to spend up to $22.2 million on the development work. To recover these costs, Upper Canada Transmission Inc. will be required to meet certain milestones and to report its progress on a regular basis.
  
  
• Six transmitters applied for designation. The Board assessed the proposals using criteria that were identified in advance. The Board also considered input from a variety of groups, including consumers, municipalities, First Nations and Métis while assessing the applications. Upper Canada Transmission Inc.'s proposal ranked the highest.

The Ontario Energy Board is an independent and impartial public agency. We make decisions that serve the public interest. Our goal is to promote a financially viable and efficient energy sector that provides consumers with reliable energy services at a reasonable cost.

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SOURCE: Ontario Energy Board

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