New hydro substation site chosen

01/27/2005

Utilities join forces in $9.5M project

BY MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
EXPOSITOR STAFF / BRANTFORD


The area's two public utilities have chosen a location for their new joint $9.5-million transformer station.

Brantford Power Inc. and Brant Power County Inc. have purchased a 5.5-acre parcel of land from King &Benton Development Corp.

It's just east of an existing station on the north side of Powerline Road in Brant County, near the company's Oak Park North business park. None of the parties would divulge the purchase price.

George Mychailenko, CEO of Brantford Power, confirmed on Wednesday the new facility is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

It will have a capacity of 100 megawatts.

“It’s a really good deal for the two of us,” he said. “The load on the city and the county is increasing with development. We have come to the point that the capacity of both our stations is exhausted and we need a new one.”

City Mayor Mike Hancock said the new station will be an important component to attract development in the area between Paris and the city’s northwest.

“It’s a great deal for everybody,” he added. “It’s good for 50 years … will be paid for in 15 years and everything after that is profit for both of us.”

King & Benton president Steve Charest said he was happy to assist with the fundamental growth needs of the two municipalities.

“King & Benton has recognized that partnerships with municipalities are important to sustain future growth to ensure that the infrastructure is there for new development,” said Charest.

The two municipalities are experiencing strong development pressures in the area.

It is also subject to a proposed strategic growth and boundary adjustment agreement between the two, designed to accommodate industrial, commercial and residential development.

The area has already attracted Procter & Gamble, Ferrero Group chocolate factory and Camco.

Also in the offing are an $86-million ethanol plant proposed by Integrated Grain Processor’s Co-operative, a mega-warehousing project by Prologis, and a consortium led by Metrus Developments, which wants to construct residential subdivisions in the next decade.

The two utilities have agreed to share construction and operating costs.

The project will have no effect on property taxes or local electricity charges to customers.

A charge has been in place on each utility’s bills since 2000 to pay for their portion of the current Hydro One power substation.

That money will stay with the utilities when they build the new station.