Hydro One has identified a preferred route for a transmission corridor to supply the Volkswagen electric vehicle battery plant in St. Thomas, Ont. While the corridor now appears inevitable, officials are continuing to take feedback on the plan.
The first of two public-input sessions was held at the Belmont Arena and Community Centre on Wednesday evening. A second will take place Thursday in St. Anne’s Parish Centre in St.
Thomas. In February, similar sessions were held with three proposed routes on the table, now there is only one. Hydro One Vice President of Portfolio Management Kathleen McCorriston told CTV News, "We've gone through a data-driven process, through the environmental assessment process, to select the preferred route.
The preferred route that we have selected has scored the best in all of the different criteria." The proposed St. Thomas line will travel 18 kilometers from existing power lines running just south of Highway 401 to the PowerCo Canada electric vehicle (EV) battery cell plant on the east edge of St.
Thomas. The plant will be the largest manufacturing facility in Canada and the biggest EV battery plant in North America. Still, the proposed corridor raises concerns for some, including many farmers.
Many attending the Belmont session said they felt reassured that the plan was reasonable and well thought out. Others continue to have concerns about impacts on birds and other wildlife, and about broader environmental impacts. The St.
Thomas line will ru.
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