Transmission Capital Planning

What is new?

BC Hydro’s Integrated Resource Plan

BC Hydro is currently undertaking a long-term resource planning process to develop its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). BC Hydro’s IRP is a long-term (20 year) plan for enhancing BC’s integrated power system to ensure future customer electricity needs are met with clean, reliable and affordable power. Transmission planning as part of IRP development is a Long-Term Planning process per Section 1 (a) of Attachment K to BC Hydro’s Open Access Transmission Tariff.

BC Hydro’s draft 2021 Integrated Resource Plan [PDF, 3.09 MB] is now ready to review. There are elements in the draft plan that may be of interest to you. We want to ensure all interested parties have the opportunity to review the draft plan and share feedback.

To provide specific input on long-term transmission planning, send your comments by July 31, 2021 to bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com.

For more information about our draft 2021 IRP and broader consultation, visit Clean Power 2040.

Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) Attachment K

You may submit requests for economic development studies at any time. We will consider your requests in our next capital planning cycle

We work with stakeholders on system planning in accordance with Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) Attachment K. Customers and interested parties can become a participant and request a transmission study to facilitate economic development (economic planning) to provide input to the development of our transmission capital plans.

See below for information on Attachment K planning activities, which take place periodically.

If you want to take part in the transmission capital planning process, complete the request to participate form.

Transmission capital planning activities

ACTIVITY	DATE
Deadline for economic planning studies request	TBD
Draft scope of economic planning studies to be undertaken by BC Hydro	Not applicable
Feedback on draft scope of economic planning studies	Not applicable
Final scope of BC Hydro transmission planning study document	Not applicable
Preliminary results of economic planning studies	Not applicable
Feedback on preliminary results of economic planning studies	Not applicable
Final economic planning studies report	Not applicable

Transmission studies to facilitate economic development

There are areas of B.C. where our transmission system may not be adequate, or isn't available at all, to meet the area's economic development needs. To ensure we're planning for those needs, you can apply for an economic planning study related to transmission access.

Requests for economic planning studies may be selected based on their consistency with our transmission planning parameters. Some requests may be deferred to future planning cycles.

How to make a request for an economic planning study

You must be a registered participant in the transmission capital planning process before submitting a request for an economic planning study.

An economic planning study isn't a substitute for:

BC Hydro's transmission standard generator interconnection process (SGIP)
The interconnection process for generator owners or independent power producers
Transmission and distribution interconnection processes for large loads.

Specific point-to-point transmission service, generation interconnection, or load interconnection requests will be studied in accordance with existing processes under BC Hydro's OATT.

This study may require detailed modeling data, analysis of potential economic benefits and an examination of key assumptions that make the economic development viable. We'll also look at investments that could result from building, or upgrading, a transmission line.

Request an economic planning study

OATT Attachment K related documents

Final Business Practices – Attachment K Open Access Transmission Tariff – Transmission Planning [PDF, 525 KB]
Planning Manual
- Transmission System Studies Guide November 7, 2014 [PDF, 726 KB]