The Municipality of Lakeshore will benefit from $8-million in new local investments after signing an agreement with Hydro One.
The money includes $5.8-million for culture and recreation projects as part of a new Community Support Agreement. It's part of Hydro One's new transmission line through Lakeshore.
"We know how critical the electricity transmission projects are to the future prosperity of our region," said Mayor Tracey Bailey.
The expansion will support the growing number of greenhouses in the region and economic growth, including the new EV battery plant in Windsor.
"Hydro One is supporting a clean energy future for the communities and businesses of Lakeshore through the significant investment in five critical transmission lines in Southwestern Ontario," said Executive Vice President Capital Portfolio at Hydro One Andrew Spencer.
Next, Lakeshore will seek community input on how to spend the money.
"Looking ahead, we'd love to hear ideas from community members on projects that matter to them," said Bailey. "We want to ensure residents have a say."
Hydro One started building a new double-circuit 230-kilovolt transmission line from the Chatham Switching Station to the Lakeshore Switching Station this spring.
Upcoming projects include a 500-kilovolt line from the Longwood Transformer Station west of London to the Lakeshore Transformer Station, and a 230-kilovolt line connecting the Windsor area to the Lakeshore Transformer Station.