Ontario Construction News staff writer
BC Hydro will construct about $1 billion worth of capital projects in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs over the next decade to upgrade and expand the electricity grid and provide clean power for homes, businesses and growing transportation needs.
“Expanding electricity capacity in the Fraser Valley will help people and businesses get the clean and affordable power that they need to run their homes and keep the economy growing,” said Premier David Eby. “These new projects will make sure B.C. continues to be a leader helping people switch from fossil fuels to clean energy while creating thousands of good-paying jobs.”
BC Hydro’s updated 10-year capital plan includes $36 billion in regional and community infrastructure investments in B.C. New construction projects will create 10,500 to 12,500 jobs annually on average.
“In growing regions like the Fraser Valley where we are seeing substantial population growth, and residential, commercial and industrial electrification, we are embarking on significant upgrades to our electricity system, including investments in our substations, transmission lines and distribution network to ensure we can continue to provide reliable and clean electricity to our customers,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “We are also investing millions on dam safety improvements at generating stations in the area and making important changes to our customer connections process to speed up timelines for newly constructed homes and buildings.”
Projects include:
- $800 million to expand transmission capacity, especially within the systems serving Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Hope
- $75 million to expand capacity of the following substations:
- Atchelitz substation in Chilliwack, powering up to 14,000 new homes by 2027;
- Clayburn substation in Abbotsford, powering up to 17,500 additional homes by 2028; and
- Mount Lehman substation in Abbotsford, powering up to 35,000 more homes by 2029.
- $80 million will be invested in dam safety improvements and equipment upgrades at Wahleach, Stave Falls and Ruskin generating stations.
Twenty-five million dollars will be set aside for extending underground infrastructure and expanding distribution capacity in Mission, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
BC Hydro also recently launched a call for power to acquire approximately 3,000 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/y) of clean electricity.
To read Powering Our Future: BC’s Clean Energy Strategy, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content?id=E28B86DD48CC469684A9401B54087682
For details about BC Hydro’s call for power, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023EMLI0036-000941