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Transmission system

BC's high voltage transmission system consists of:

  • Over 18,000 km of lines and underwater submarine cables
  • 100,000 wood poles
  • 22,000 steel towers
  • 292 substations

The transmission grid in BC operates at voltages from 69 kV to 500 kV and stretches over 75,000 hectares of the province.

Most of the generation (production of electricity) comes from facilities in the northern and southern Interior of BC, while most of the load (consumption of electricity) is in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

70 - 80% of the province's electricity is consumed in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

BC's grid has been linked to Alberta and the United States for over thirty years.

  • Two 138 kV lines and one 500 kV line connect BC to Alberta
  • Two 500 kV lines and two 230 kV lines connect BC to the United States

You can find out more about British Columbia's electrical transmission system in this section.