Although a proposed 180-kilometre Hydro One transmission line from the Bruce Power Facility to the Milton switching station is still in the environmental assessment stage, there is already vocal opposition to the project.

The proposed transmission lines, along with other nuclear and wind projects, are a major point of concern for the Saugeen First Nations in Southampton.

The Owen Sound Sun Times reported last weekend that Saugeen lawyer Arthur Pape had told an Ontario Energy Board meeting last week that, without adequate consultation, his clients could well pursue court action to disallow results of the power system plan review. Such legal action "might very well result in the plan being neither economically prudent nor cost-effective," he told the board.

Meanwhile, author Chris Pappas, an opponent of the proposal who lives in Rocklyn, suggested the new line is excessive and questioned the motives behind building one.

The aim of Hydro One's $650-million, double-circuit 500-kilovolt transmission line is to increase the capacity of the Bruce-to- Milton corridor to transmit power from "committed and future sources" in the Bruce area to the provincial grid and the Greater Toronto Area.

A target date for completion of the project is the end of 2011.

The Ontario Power Authority has concluded that the so-called Bruce to Milton Transmission Reinforcement is the only practical alternative to deliver contracted power to the GTA.

Mr. Pappas rejects this contention, saying there are alternatives to the extra lines; one, in particular, being FACTS (Flexible Alternate Current Transmission System).

"These (transmission) lines are like old toaster wires, losing energy all over the place," says Mr. Pappas. "But if you put this new technology on, they become far more efficient."

FACTS is a capacitorbased technology that utilizes communicationsenabled sensors, powerconverters and actuator networks to produce a controllable and asset-efficient power grid. Power flow control on existing lines is achieved using many modules of a distributed static series capacitor (DSSC) device that can be clamped on to existing power lines.

This approach can increase line and system capacity, reduce environmental impact, and can be deployed both quickly and in stages.

The technology has a proven track record. For example, at the Western Area Power Authority (Hoover Dam) line in Arizona, capacity went from 300 to 400 megawatts.

Still, Hydro One points out that the project is in accordance with provincial land use policies and is a key component in the Liberal government's commitment to phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2009.

Under an agreement with Bruce Power, the province has contracted to buy 1,500 megawatts of electricity produced by the nuclear plant on Lake Huron near Kincardine, when two mothballed reactors come back online in 2009 and the plant gets up to full strength by 2012. This raises the possibility of the province being put on the hook for "must-run payments." What this means, essentially, is that if a generating plant experiences production setbacks, it's the plant's problem.

On the other hand, if the plant's production doesn't get through to the consumer due to faulty or inadequate transmission, the plant is still entitled to be paid for every kilowatt it could produce.

When Alberta added the capacitor technology to enhance the province's transmission-line capacity and protect its lines against contingencies, (accidents, systems failures, outages, etc.), there was a saving of between $35 and $45 million in such must-use payments.

Mr. Pappas suspects that the ultimate goal of the new power lines may be to transport enough juice to not only fuel the GTA and surrounding markets, but to allow for exports to the United States, as well.

"If that's going to be the case," he says, "let these private customers build their own (power) expressway from the plants to the border and pay for it with their own dime."

Hydro One submitted a Terms of Reference (ToR) document to the Ministry of the Environment in August which outlines the transmission plans. After receiving comment from outside individuals and agencies, the ToR has been amended and is available for public review until Feb. 4. It's available at www. HydroOnenetworks.com or by phoning 1-877-345- 6799.