Government of Canada approves the Canada-U.S. Lake Erie connector project
July 5, 2017 | By MRO Magazine
Ottawa – Moving Canadian energy to markets responsibly while creating good middle-class jobs, investing in clean technology and supporting the long-term transition to a low-carbon energy mix is good for the economy and the environment.
Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, today announced the Government’s approval of the National Energy Board’s decision to issue a certificate for the Lake Erie Connector Project, subject to 42 binding conditions.
ITC Lake Erie Connector LLC’s project will help increase the trade in electricity between Canada and the United States. The $544-million Canadian portion of the project will create 331 jobs during construction.
The project is a 1,000-megawatt, two-way underwater transmission line, measuring about 117 kilometres, which will travel under Lake Erie and provide the first direct electricity link between Ontario and Pennsylvania. The project is expected to be in service by 2020.
In January 2016, the Government announced an interim approach to guide decisions on major projects undergoing an environmental assessment while a longer-term review of environmental and regulatory processes is underway. The Lake Erie Connector Project was assessed using the interim approach and principles.
In making its decision, the Government conducted consultations with Indigenous peoples and took into consideration the National Energy Board’s review of the project. The outcomes of these processes are available to Canadians via Natural Resources Canada’s website
