A high-rise building boom means Toronto Hydro is planning to ask the provincial energy board for a rate hike in order to keep up with what it says is increased demand on the existing system.

Toronto has more high-rise buildings under construction than in any other North American city, with 189 buildings planned for 2012, and this means the utilities provider needs $1.5-billion in infrastructure repair money to keep up with new demand, the provider said.

"We need some money to put a new station in the downtown core so that we can actually spread the load a little more evenly," said Toronto Hydro spokesperson Tanya Bruckmueller.

That new downtown station is the proposed Bremner Station, which would be located just off Lake Shore Boulevard, near Bremner Boulevard and Reese Street.

Toronto Hydro is looking for a more positive response from the energy board this time around. The board already denied one rate increase request in January that would have added about $5 to the average monthly hydro bill.

In addition to the many high-rise tower projects dotting the skyline, Toronto Hydo says the Sick Kids Hospital development, the Pan Am project, waterfront beautification plans and condo developments in the Queen's Quay and East Bayside areas are placing undue strain on the system.

"Think of it as a very old car," said Toronto Hydro's Rich Lang. "When comes the point that you stop putting money into it, stop putting a band-aid solution on it, and you replace it? We've gone beyond that point."

Many of the cables and underground lines the system relies on are 50-70 years old and 29 per cent of Toronto Hydro's infrastructure is already past its projected life expectancy, the organization said in a release Monday.

But independent electricity consultant Tom Adams isn't certain a massive rate increase is needed to meet the projected demand.

"There is going to be some increase, but that has to be looked at from the perspective that Toronto Hydro rate-payers already are paying the highest rate of any urban utility in Ontario," Adams said.

Toronto Hydro said it doesn't know what the requested hike will be at this time.

With files from CTV New's Austin Delaney