Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (Hydro) is beginning the first phase of a new transmission line designed to strengthen the provincial electricity grid.

“This new line is important for continued system reliability as our demand for electricity continues to grow,” said Rob Henderson, Vice President, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.

As part of the environmental assessment, a public engagement and consultation process will start this month to inform stakeholders and communities about the new line which will run from Bay d’Espoir to the Avalon Peninsula. This includes stakeholder meetings, community open houses (see dates below), and public information sharing. “We want to provide information on the project,” said Henderson, “and to have meaningful discussions with those stakeholders who have specific interest in the project, as well as identify areas of concern.”

The new high voltage, 230kV transmission line’s proposed route will be about 188 km in length and parallels two existing transmission lines between the Bay d’Espoir Generating Station and the Western Avalon Terminal Station near Chapel Arm. This avoids the creation of new access corridor, reduces the overall environmental footprint and minimizes the impact to communities.

The upgrade of this corridor will provide additional capacity into the Avalon Peninsula, relieve congestion, enhance the resiliency of the current transmission network originally built in the late 1960s, and reinforce the interconnection of the system with Labrador.

The Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB) approved the project in December 2014. Hydro will be registering the project as an undertaking under the provincial Environmental Protection Act (EPA). The environmental assessment is a planning process meant to identify the potential environment and socio-economic effects of proposed projects to help inform planning and decision making. Construction will not start until all environmental approvals, authorizations and permits are in place.

The project is presently anticipated to cost about $291.7 million and is scheduled to be in service in 2018.

Information about the Bay d’Espoir to Western Avalon Transmission Line will be updated on www.nlhydro.com as the project progresses. Questions or comments can be addressed to hydro@nlh.nl.ca or by calling 1.888.576.5454.

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Public Open House Sessions

Hydro is committed to open consultation with communities and residents along the planned route of the transmission line. As part of the environmental assessment, Hydro is inviting the public to attend open house sessions.

Information on the project will be available and project team members will be there to listen to feedback and answer questions.

Community	Location	Date	Time
Milltown-Head of Bay d’Espoir	Milltown Lions Club	June 16	4-7 p.m.
Come by Chance	Come by Chance Lions Club	June 17	4-7 p.m.
Chapel Arm	St. John the Baptist Parish Hall	June 18	4-7 p.m.