North Coast B.C. Expression of Interest

We have an update and a reminder as we continue to advance planning of the proposed new 500 kilovolt infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace.

As part of the Expression of Interest process carried out between February and April 2023, we received significant interest from a variety of industry sectors looking connect to BC Hydro's system in the North Coast region. This has enabled us to continue to advance planning of the new infrastructure.

Early engagement with our Indigenous partners is underway, which aligns with our commitment to explore potential Indigenous co-ownership of the proposed new transmission line infrastructure, as well other means of Indigenous participation.

We also held several virtual and in-person public open houses in early summer to solicit feedback from communities on the proposed infrastructure. The next round of open houses is being planned for spring 2024.

We continue work to identify and refine route options based on additional studies, input from First Nations, and feedback from stakeholders. We anticipate some upgrades to the existing infrastructure between Prince George and Terrace will also be required, as well as additional new infrastructure beyond Terrace, depending on the location and demand of customer projects. View more information about the proposed new infrastructure and open houses.

We're also proposing a new tariff for the North Coast to help address barriers to infrastructure investment. More information will be shared in a future notice.

Important Reminder: If you did not participate in the EOI, but are interested in connecting, please email us for more information about next steps, including submitting a Transmission Service Request.

BC Hydro received 29 submissions in response to the Expression of Interest. As expected, interest came from a diverse range of current and prospective industrial customers across economic sectors, including mining, ports, hydrogen, liquified natural gas, and others. The mining sector accounted for the largest number of individual submissions and the hydrogen sector accounted for the largest amount of proposed future demand.

The results provide strong support for proposed new 500 kilovolt transmission infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace.

We're advancing planning for the new transmission infrastructure. We'll work with First Nations and government to obtain the permits needed, as well as continue discussions with First Nations on potential co-ownership of the transmission lines. We'll also continue to work with prospective customers to advance their interconnection requests and will contact EOI participants directly with updates. For more information on this update, see the news release.

BC Hydro received 29 submissions in response to the Expression of Interest. As expected, interest came from a diverse range of current and prospective industrial customers across economic sectors, including mining, ports, hydrogen, liquified natural gas, and others. The mining sector accounted for the largest number of individual submissions and the hydrogen sector accounted for the largest amount of proposed future demand.

The results provide strong support for the proposed new 500 kilovolt transmission infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace.

Interest in connecting to the BC Hydro system west of Prince George exceeded the capacity of the proposed new 500 kilovolt transmission infrastructure.

We know from past experience that some of these projects won't ultimately achieve a positive final investment decision, but we will consider additional system reinforcements as necessary.

Proposed customer projects were located throughout the North Coast region; however, the majority of the potential demand for electricity (about 80%) was located beyond Terrace – south towards Kitimat, west towards Prince Rupert, and north towards New Aiyanish.

BC Hydro is reviewing the results of the EOI to determine whether there is sufficient demand for additional transmission infrastructure beyond Prince George to Terrace to warrant including it as part of the common North Coast Electrification scope.

We expect to have further information available later in 2023.

The information received from companies participating in the EOI process is considered commercially-sensitive and will be kept confidential. This includes the amount of electricity requested. However, interest was significant, indicating strong support for advancing planning of the proposed 500 kilovolt transmission infrastructure from Prince George to Terrace.

We recognize that the project information provided by customers may be commercially sensitive. Although BC Hydro does not enter into Confidentiality Agreements as part of the typical interconnection process, to help alleviate potential concerns around sharing project information with BC Hydro, we have provided an optional Confidentiality Agreement that prospective customers can complete as part of their EOI submission.

Due to the volume of submissions we expect to receive, we are not able to accommodate customized Confidentiality Agreements.

Demand for electricity in this region comes from a wide range of industries, including mines, ports, and LNG. We expect customers requiring transmission-voltage service from a range of sectors to respond to the EOI. 

The EOI will inform our plans for new transmission infrastructure in the region and subsequent steps to confirm customer commitment, but it doesn’t commit us to proceed with the transmission system reinforcements or interconnect prospective customers.

If the available capacity of the proposed new infrastructure is over-subscribed, we may consider additional system reinforcements.

Companies that did not participate in the EOI may participate in subsequent steps, including submitting a transmission service request.

If you didn't participate but are interested in connecting to the BC Hydro transmission system west of Prince George, please email us for more information.

The information received from companies participating in the EOI process is considered commercially sensitive and will be kept confidential.

Some aggregate information may be made public (e.g. number of responses, etc.).

The benefits include:

• Information about customer electricity needs is received earlier in the planning process, which will help optimize new proposed transmission infrastructure, allow for meaningful engagement with First Nations and local government, and facilitate timely customer interconnections.
• Transmission line reinforcements can be optimized based on customer demand and location.
• In subsequent steps, security for project development costs may be distributed across multiple customers rather than a single customer, reducing a barrier to initiating transmission line expansions, increasing project certainty, and in turn facilitating engagement with Indigenous Nations.

The objective of the EOI process is to identify potential electricity needs earlier in the planning process, potentially before a customer may be ready to submit an interconnection request.

The EOI process does not replace the interconnection process. Customers are still required to submit an Transmission Service Request when ready and proceed through the interconnection process to address customer-specific interconnection requirements, including local transmission system reinforcements to connect to our transmission system.

Transmission service requests are considered based on the order in which they are received so long as they continue to meet the requirements of the Business Practice for Load Interconnection Queue Management and any additional requirements specified in subsequent stages of the Open Season.

After submitting a Transmission Service Request, prospective customers will be asked to provide a financial commitment in the form of a deposit to advance the interconnection studies required to determine the local system reinforcements needed to connect to BC Hydro's system and the cost of constructing these facilities.

Further information can be found on the Large load connections or contact your Key Account Manager.

To reserve capacity on the proposed new 500 kV transmission infrastructure customers may also be requested to post security prior to starting the final design and construction of the new infrastructure.

These next steps remain to be confirmed and information will be posted on the North Coast EOI webpages and communicated by email to registered prospective customers when available.

Yes, the transmission service rates applicable to other industrial customers in the province will apply to customers participating in the EOI.

An overview of current BC Hydro and government programs is available in the notices and supporting materials section.

All programs are subject to funding availability and eligibility is not guaranteed.

The EOI process will help determine when the transmission lines are needed. We anticipate that it could take about 8 to 10 years to complete the new lines; however, there may be opportunities to speed up the process. Learn more about North Coast B.C. electrification plans.

Building transmission lines is a major undertaking. Before construction begins, we have a project management process that we must complete to ensure we are minimizing the risks and delivering the best value for our customers.

Consultation is also an essential part of the process – both with Indigenous Nations and the communities that are impacted.

Large projects like this can also be subject to multi-year regulatory review processes.

We cannot comment on the position of First Nations relative to the EOI.

We’ve notified Indigenous Nations of our intent to launch the EOI and will continue to share information about the EOI. We have also initiated discussions with First Nations regarding potential co-ownership opportunities relative to the infrastructure and those discussions are ongoing.

We'll be working with participating First Nations to explore what co-ownership of this transmission lines could look like. We're also looking at what has been successful in other jurisdictions and industries.

This is the first time BC Hydro has pursued co-ownership of infrastructure with First Nations. We believe it is an opportunity to further mutual interests in economic development in Indigenous communities and throughout the region using clean hydroelectricity.

With the increased interest in electrification, many are asking if we have enough power. The short answer is yes for now, especially with Site C, BC Hydro's newest generating station, coming into service soon.

The longer-term answer is also yes. We have an Integrated Resource Plan that plans for all scenarios – it's a flexible plan that allows us to monitor changing conditions and adjust planning.

There are a number of ways we can meet the increased demand for clean electricity, if required. These include demand-side measures such as energy efficiency measures and voluntary time-of-use rates, and supply-side measures such as Electricity Purchase Agreement renewals.

B.C. also has a large volume of potential new renewable energy resources that could be deployed to meet the need, including wind and solar projects, among other resources.