Chatham-Kent/Lambton/Sarnia

The regional planning process for Chatham-Kent/Lambton/Sarnia began in Q3 2021 to examine emerging electricity needs.

Community Engagement

The IESO engages with local and regional communities to seek input to help inform planning activities. Learn more about engagement on the current planning cycle.

Region Overview

The Chatham-Kent/Lambton/Sarnia area is located in southwestern Ontario bordered by the London area to the east and Windsor-Essex to the southwest. The region includes the County of Lambton encompassing the City of Sarnia, townships of Petrolia, Plympton-Wyoming, Dawn-Euphemia, Enniskillen, St. Clair, Warwick, municipalities of Lambton Shores and Brooke-Alvinston, and Villages of Oil Springs and Point Edward. The municipalities of Chatham-Kent, South Huron (within Huron County) and West Elgin (within Elgin County) and the Village of Newbury (within Elgin County) are also comprised in this region.

The local distribution companies (LDCs) providing service to customers in the region include:

Bluewater Power Distribution Corporation

Entegrus

Hydro One Networks Inc.

Regional Planning Process Activities

The second cycle of regional electricity planning was completed for this region with the publication of a Scoping Assessment Outcome Report in December 2021 that has concluded no further regional coordination is required.

Capacity needs identified in the Dresden area within the Municipality of Chatham-Kent will be addressed by wires solutions that will be outlined in a Regional Infrastructure Plan to be led by Hydro One Transmission expected to be complete in Q2 2022. The outcomes of previous planning initiatives including the West of London Bulk Plan will also be leveraged to help to address this need as well as explore interim solutions in parallel with the required supply station connection process in order to expedite new load connections.

Although there are no needs in the Sarnia-Lambton sub-region currently forecast to arise in the mid-term (5 to 10 years out), the Working Group will continue monitor growth in the region and re-evaluate these needs periodically, in order to trigger further regional planning for the Sarnia-Lambton sub-region as required.

The previous planning cycle was completed in 2016 following the assessment of needs by the local transmitter (Hydro One) for this region and found that there were no needs that required regional coordination.

A copy of the transmitter’s Needs Assessment report can be viewed on the Hydro One website.

Bulk Planning Activities

A West of London bulk transmission plan has been developed to address transmission limitations impacting the connection of load growth focused in Kingsville, Leamington, Lakeshore and areas surrounding Chatham, specifically Dresden. Visit the Southwest Ontario Bulk Planning Initiatives webpage for more information.

Southwest Ontario