Transmission line relocation
What is a transmission line relocation?
If you're planning a project that requires our transmission infrastructure to be moved, you'll need to submit a transmission line relocation request. These relocations are complex and typically considered a last resort, but when they're necessary, we'll work with you to explore feasible solutions.
A transmission line relocation may involve:
- Moving or modifying a transmission pole or tower.
- Relocating guy (supporting) wires or anchors of transmission infrastructure.
- Shifting a section of an underground transmission line.
You can request a relocation whether you're a land developer, property owner, municipality, First Nation, or individual.
Common reasons for requesting a relocation include:
- New construction near our transmission infrastructure or near/within a transmission Right-of-Way.
- Public road crossings that intersect transmission corridors.
- Foundation work such as excavation, drilling, or preloading that may impact transmission infrastructure.
What is transmission infrastructure?
Transmission lines are the big, high-voltage power lines that bring electricity from where it's made at generating stations to substations near communities across B.C.
They range in voltage from 60 kilovolts (kV) to 500 kV.
Transmission infrastructure includes the transmission towers and power lines, as well as the supporting infrastructure such as guy wires, foundations, and underbuilt distribution lines.
How the process works
1. Review the Right-of-Way guidelines
Familiarize yourself with our Right-of-Way guidelines. This helps ensure your proposal will align with safety and compatibility requirements.
2. Submit a Right-of-Way proposal
Submit your Right-of-Way proposal. Include detailed information about your project's location and scope.
Once we receive your proposal, we'll conduct a property referral process. This is where we assess which transmission assets may need to be relocated and whether relocation is potentially feasible. This typically takes 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the completeness of your proposal.
If your proposal meets our transmission line Right-of-Way compatible use requirements, our properties team will follow up with you once we've completed the property referral process.
3. Decide whether you'd like to proceed
Following the results of our property referral process, let us know whether you'd like to proceed with a transmission line relocation request or cancel your proposal.
4. Initial agreement and feasibility deposit
Our transmission line relocation team will contact you to gather project-specific details, including your latest design. We'll provide you with an initial agreement and collect a deposit to assess conceptual options.
If your design changes, you'll need to resubmit it as this may affect feasibility and timelines.
5. Execution agreement and design/implementation deposit
After assessing your project, we'll share the results with you as well as a good faith cost estimate for the design and implementation phases. We'll walk you through these and answer any questions you have.
If you choose to proceed, you'll enter into an execution agreement and provide a deposit for the estimated cost of design and implementation. Depending on your project's complexity, we may break design and implementation into stages with review points in between.
6. Implementation and final payment
Once planning and design are complete, we'll move into implementation. Throughout the process, we'll keep you informed of progress and timelines. After the project is complete:
- If the final cost is lower than received deposits, you'll receive a refund.
- If the cost is higher than received deposits, you'll be invoiced for the difference.
Costs and responsibilities
As the requester, you're responsible for covering the full cost of the relocation and any reviews/studies completed. We'll provide good faith cost estimates at key stages, and you'll be required to prepay deposits before work begins.
Relocating transmission infrastructure is a complex undertaking. It involves coordination across multiple BC Hydro teams – including engineering, property, legal, safety, Indigenous Relations, and community relations – as well as external stakeholders like municipalities and private landowners.
We're committed to working with you every step of the way to ensure your transmission line relocation request is handled efficiently and transparently.