British Columbia To Invest CA$6 Billion In Hydroelectric Energy Infrastructure

The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) said it will invest CA$6 billion (US$4.3 billion) in renewable hydroelectric power infrastructure in British Columbia, Canada, over the next decade, which could create thousands of construction jobs.

Most of the investment will be in British Columbia’s Southern Interior region, a federal electoral district that includes the cities of Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton. The southernmost tip of the region borders the US state of Washington.

BC Hydro president and CEO Chris O’Riley said environmental conditions were a motivator in upgrading ‘outdated’ energy infrastructure in the region.

“In regions like the Southern Interior, we are investing billions of dollars to improve dam safety, replace old or worn-out equipment, and upgrade our generation facilities and transmission lines to reduce the risk of prolonged power outages due to wildfires,” O’Riley said.

This investment, along with improvements to our substations and underground and overhead distribution infrastructure, will allow BC Hydro to continue delivering clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to British Columbians.”

BC Hydro is a provincial Crown corporation and energy provider owned by the British Columbia (BC) government and its citizens. It reports to the BC Minister of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLCI).

largest projects of BC Hydro

The largest basket of projects, valued at approximately $2.8 billion, will be built to improve energy infrastructure along the Bridge River, improve regional dam safety, and equipment renewal and replacement.

An additional $869 million is earmarked for improvements at the La Joie Dam facility located on the Bridge River.

About $326 million will be spent on building new transmission connections and lines, as well as raising the height of existing lines between the Bridge River Terminal Station and the Kelly Lake Substation.

Creation of Jobs

British Columbia’s EMLCI Minister Josie Osborne said the capital investment will boost the region’s construction industry.

“Across the Southern Interior and in communities across B.C., these construction projects will create thousands of good jobs over the next decade and ensure people have access to clean, affordable, and reliable electricity when they need it and where they need it,” said Osborne.

BC EMLCI noted that the Southern Interior region’s work is just one part of the overall hydro investment. Earlier this year, the province announced it wanted to invest $26 billion in regional and community infrastructure in BC Hydro’s latest ten-year capital plan. The institute noted that investment is a fifty percent increase, on par with the previous capital plan.

“These new construction projects are expected to create an average of 10,500 to 12,500 jobs per year, and will increase and sustain BC Hydro’s capital investment upon completion of the major projects,” the EMLCI department stated.