Manitoba Hydro has begun site preparation for the new De Salaberry East Station.

The station is going up off Highway 52, northwest of Kleefeld. Hydro spokesperson Bruce Owen says it is necessary in order to keep up with growth.

"Steinbach and the surrounding area, as the last federal census pointed out, is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada," says Owen. "With that, of course, we have to make sure that we provide reliable service."

According to Owen, the existing stations right now are not able to keep up with the load.

"By the new De Salaberry station, we'll be able to not only meet the needs that exist right now but meet future residential and commercial and ag needs for the future," he says.

Owen says energy growth in southeastern Manitoba has expanded at over twice the Manitoba average for the past decade. The new station will lessen the loads carried by three other electrical stations and will improve reliability of electricity delivery.

Owen says all you will see this year is the site preparation. In fact, that should last only a couple more weeks. He notes the real construction will then begin next spring. The infrastructure will go up over the next couple of years, with a target of going into service by October 2020.

The site will see a pair of 230-kilovolt transmission lines enter the station to convert to six 66-kilovolt distribution lines.

Owen says Manitoba Hydro completed a round of public consultations in order to come up with an appropriate location and name for this new station.