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BC Hydro to build transmission line to connect North Coast industries to hydropower

BC Hydro has found that there is strong support for advancing planning of the proposed 500-kilovolt transmission infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace.
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BC Hydro to build transmission line to connect North Coast industries to hydropower
(Illustration of an electrical transmission line connecting a hydropower plant to industrial customers. This image was created with the assistance of DALL·E 2, an A.I. image generator)

Canadian provincial utility BC Hydro said it received significant interest from industrial customers in the North Coast region that would like to use clean electricity to power their operations instead of fossil fuels. This shows the utility that there is strong support for advancing planning of the proposed 500-kV transmission infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace, a distance of more than 550 km.

About 98% of the power BC Hydro generates comes from clean or renewable resources mostly powered by water. The utility said C&I customers represen the greatest opportunity for electrification, contributing about 40% of B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions. That is why fully or partially electrifying industries is key to meeting CleanBC goals.

In February, BC Hydro issued an Expression of Interest in response to the significant anticipated industrial growth in the North Coast region. The purpose was to gather information about electricity needs and assess interest in connecting to the transmission system to ensure that BC Hydro’s plans reflect demand in the region.

BC Hydro received 29 submissions, with interest from a diverse range of current and prospective industrial customers across economic sectors, including mining, ports, hydrogen and liquified natural gas. The mining sector accounted for the largest number of individual submissions, and the hydrogen sector accounted for the largest amount of proposed future demand.

Providing access to clean, renewable electricity could encourage economic development while reducing and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, which supports the CleanBC climate targets, the StrongerBC economic plan, and B.C. and Canada’s critical minerals strategies, the utility said in a press release.

“We know the North Coast region is seeing substantial growth in many sectors – and the response to the Expression of Interest confirmed that,” said Chris O’Riley, President and Chief Executive Officer of BC Hydro. “With the electricity needs described in the submissions, the interest is significant and a strong indicator that moving ahead with planning of the proposed new 500 kilovolt transmission lines from Prince George to Terrace is the right decision.”

BC Hydro will continue discussions with First Nations on opportunities for co-ownership of the new transmission lines. The utility will also continue to work with prospective customers to advance their interconnection requests, which includes providing a financial commitment.