West Kelowna Transmission Project

About 23,000 customers are served by the Westbank Substation and a single 138 kilovolt transmission line. The existing transmission line is 80 km long and runs through rugged, remote terrain susceptible to forest fires and landslides.

We've prioritized the West Kelowna area as needing a reliable supply of power because of:

• The large number of customers served by a single transmission line.
• The challenge of restoring power on the existing transmission line resulting from its 80-kilometre length, remote location, and rough terrain.
• The risk of destructive forces like forest fires and landslides.

Alternative 2: to Nicola Substation

Alternative 2 was identified as the leading alternative in November 2016. This alternative involves building a new transmission line using a different route than the existing transmission line from Nicola Substation to Westbank Substation. Since Alternative 2 was identified as the leading alternative, the updated cost estimate to build the new transmission line increased and was higher than expected. Given this cost increase, it’s prudent that we review the cost estimates and revisit the alternatives.

Alternative 3: To FortisBC

Alternative 3 includes building a new transmission line across Okanagan Lake, connecting Westbank Substation to the FortisBC system. There are three ways this could be done:

• Alternative 3a: connecting Westbank Substation to FortisBC’s DG Bell Substation (Mission-Kelowna area)
• Alternative 3b: build a new substation in West Kelowna, a submarine crossing of Okanagan Lake, and a transmission line to FortisBC’s Saucier Substation (downtown Kelowna). We would then build a transmission line from Westbank Substation to the new substation
• Alternative 3c: connecting Westbank Substation to FortisBC's Saucier Substation (downtown Kelowna).

Until recently, there was a fourth FortisBC alternative, Alternative 3d, that would have required us to build the following:

• A new substation on Westbank First Nation land or in the City of West Kelowna;
• A transmission line to connect the new substation to FortisBC's Saucier substation in Kelowna; and
• A distribution line to connect the new substation with the existing Westbank Substation in the City of West Kelowna.

Earlier this year, we confirmed with FortisBC that Alternative 3d isn't feasible.

Alternative 3d requires a constant electricity supply from the FortisBC system. While FortisBC has a robust power supply, this alternative would require the advancement of extensive FortisBC network upgrades to meet mandatory transmission planning criteria for the Kelowna area.

Due to the cost and complexity associated with these network upgrades, we've determined with FortisBC that Alternative 3d would not be feasible.

We continue to work with FortisBC on the remaining alternatives (3a, 3b, 3c) interconnecting to their system in Kelowna and plan to confirm either Alternative 2 or a connection to the FortisBC system in Kelowna as our leading alternative soon.

The West Kelowna Transmission Project will strengthen and reinforce the transmission network delivering clean, reliable electricity to Westband First Nation,  West Kelowna and Peachland.

We expect to confirm either Alternative 2 or a connection to the FortisBC system in Kelowna in 2022.

Taking the time to thoroughly plan our projects is a key component of our project lifecycle process.

By taking the time to do this work, we'll ensure a cost-effective solution that will continue to deliver clean, reliable electricity to local communities and help keep rates low for our customers.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our online public engagement, the survey is now closed.

We’ll share the results of what we heard with you early in 2022.

The information we gathered from you will be used to inform our decision on which alternative to move forward with as well as our future engagement on the West Kelowna Transmission Project. 

Since February 2015, our work has included area planning and desktop studies, wildfire and geotechnical risk assessments, as well as ongoing First Nations consultation, stakeholder engagement, and discussions with all levels of government.

We will continue working with First Nations and engaging with our stakeholders throughout the planning and implementation of the project.