Hydro One spending $10 million in Simcoe County

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Hydro One says it will spend more than $10 million to augment transmission infrastructure and improve power resiliency and reliability in Orillia and across Simcoe County.

Work will include replacing a transformer that is nearing the end of its life to prepare the grid for the future and bolster the resiliency of Orillia’s Transmission Station (TS).  While construction is underway, the station will be configured to connect to a Mobile Transformer Unit (MTU) to ensure back-up power is available to the community of Orillia in the case of an extended outage, resulting in a more redundant electricity network.

“Not that long ago, we welcomed the Hydro One family to the Sunshine City and we are proud to have them as part of our community,” said Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke. “Hydro One’s continued investment in Orillia demonstrates their commitment to providing Orillians with safe and reliable service. As the City of Orillia works with our community partners to address the challenges of climate change, investments such as this infrastructure update from Hydro One are critical.”

Two smart switches were installed last year along critical transmissions lines that run from Barrie to Minden to minimize the duration of power outages. Upgrades enhance automation and allow grid control centre operators to remotely control electrical equipment and restore power to customers faster. In addition, Hydro One plans to replace insulators next year along 400 structures that were originally installed in the 1950s and 1960s. Insulators are critical to delivering safe and reliable power as they stop the electricity in power lines from flowing down a pole or tower to the ground.

“With storms getting increasingly stronger, Hydro One is investing in building a grid for the future in order to support local businesses, residents and the economy. As a proud member of the Orillia community, we are preparing our equipment and stations for the impacts of climate change,” said Hydro One chief operating officer David Lebeter. “Upgrades at Orillia TS and area transmission lines will energize life for customers and improve power reliability and resiliency for years to come.”

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