Northwest Transmission Line Project
Investing for the future
The Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) Project is designed to provide an interconnection point for future industrial development and clean power projects in Northwest B.C.
Reliable, clean power for a growing region
The Northwest Transmission Line (NTL) is an approximately 344-kilometre, 287 kilovolt transmission line between Skeena Substation (near Terrace) and a new substation to be built near Bob Quinn Lake.
This new line will:
- Provide a reliable supply of clean power to potential industrial developments in the area;
- Provide a secure interconnection point for clean generation projects;
- Facilitate interconnecting the community of Iskut to the grid, so that this community is no longer relying on diesel generation.
View the project schematic map [PDF, 962 KB].
What's new
Construction is now underway on the NTL. As of March 31, 2013, about 90% of the right-of-way clearing and access road construction was completed and a quarter of the structure foundations in place.
As a result of the NTL and other substantial planned industrial projects, northwest B.C. is beginning to experience significant economic development, which is expected to continue for at least 10 more years. The Northwest Labour Market Partnership Program (NLMP) — a multi-sectoral initiative largely funded by grants from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training – is working to implement a human resource strategy to ensure local workers are ready to take advantage of the resulting job opportunities.
On April 10, 2013, the B.C. Utilities Commission approved Tariff Supplement 37 [PDF, 181 KB], which will allow BC Hydro to recover the costs of building the NTL from industrial developers and independent power producer who interconnect their projects to the NTL.
