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Pemberton Substation Rebuild Project

View of the Pemberton substation

We've started the Pemberton Substation Rebuild Project to ensure we continue to provide clean, reliable energy to communities in Pemberton and the Sea-to-Sky region.

What's new

Phase two re-evaluation

Phase one of the project will be complete this fall 2023, replacing electrical equipment containing Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and equipment nearing end-of-life.

After re-evaluating our load forecast, it shows the substation has the capacity to meet the community's current needs and growth for the next 10 or more years.

We won't be moving forward with the second phase of the project. No further capital project work will occur at the substation, though ongoing maintenance will continue.

We'll monitor the load growth in the community and will look to adjust our plans as needed to ensure we continue to provide reliable power to the community.

Thank you for the feedback you shared during project engagement.

This project will replace equipment that is near end-of-life and prepare the substation for future upgrades.

It will also remove equipment with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), part of our PCB electrical equipment removal strategy that meets stringent federal regulations.

These improvements will ensure the station continues to safely and reliably operate for our customers.

The Pemberton substation has been in service since the 1970s, serving more than 3,600 customers in Pemberton and the Sea-to-Sky region. The station is supplied with electricity from one 230-kilovolt transmission line from Bridge River generating facilities in Shalalth.

We need to upgrade the substation to:

  • Replace major equipment that is near end-of-life
  • Remove electrical equipment containing PCBs
  • Improve station layout for future upgrades

The Pemberton Substation is an existing substation on Pemberton Portage Road near Aspen Boulevard.

Pemberton substation project map

The project will ensure we continue to provide clean, reliable energy to communities in Pemberton and the Sea-to-Sky region that are served by the substation while preparing for future upgrades.

This project will require an expansion of the substation within the existing property lines to make room for the new equipment. It will require changes to the surrounding vegetation and parking at the Pemberton Health Centre. We will communicate more details as they become available.

Phase one construction starts in June 2023. Preliminary design work continues on the second phase of work, which has a planned start date of fall 2024 (previously spring 2024). The in-service date for the project is anticipated to be June 2027.

During the planning phases of the project, desktop and field environmental studies will be undertaken to investigate archaeological potential, wildlife and wildlife habitat, vegetation and soil characterization.

Consultation

We'll continue to work with First Nations, key stakeholders and the public throughout the project. See some of our previous consultation materials below.

Reports and documents

Contact us

If you'd like to learn more about the project, please contact us at:

Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 623 4472
Toll free: 1 866 647 3334