Fort Nelson long-term resource planning
We're planning for Fort Nelson's electricity future
We're developing a long-term resource plan for the Fort Nelson area. This plan will consider demand and supply for electricity as well as evolving energy policies and uncertainties in the Fort Nelson region over the next 20 years.
We're now incorporating feedback on our Draft Fort Nelson Long-term Resource Plan [PDF, 722 KB] that was gathered from the community through a series of meetings and an online survey. We expect to submit the plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) for regulatory review in spring 2024.
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| September to November 2023 | Developed a long-term resource plan that considered long-term supply uncertainties |
| November 2023 | Gathered community input to add to the draft plan |
| December 2023 | Developed the draft plan |
| February to April 2024 | Gathered community feedback on the draft plan |
| April to June 2024 | Finalize the plan and submit to the BCUC |
*This timeline is subject to change.
Five things to know about the Draft 2024 Fort Nelson Long-term Resource Plan
- We plan to supply the Fort Nelson region with low-carbon power by the early 2040s. There isn't a clear best resource option at this time, so our plan focuses on further investigations, studies, and monitoring before any decisions are made.
- We'll gather more information on low-carbon power solutions for the Fort Nelson region. We’ll do this by:
- Advancing a geothermal pilot project that builds on work already underway with the Tu-Deh-Kah geothermal project; and
- Investigating carbon capture technology as it relates to the Fort Nelson Generating Station.
- We'll monitor and assess developments of other resource options such as renewable fuels. This includes exploring partnerships with other industry parties to capture, store and utilize greenhouse gases, and reviewing biomass opportunities.
- We're consulting with Indigenous Nations, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, and the broader community of Fort Nelson. So far, we've learned that affordability, energy security and reliable power are important issues for local groups. We've also heard that there’s a strong interest in economic growth driven by developments in the energy sector.
- We're expecting our next long-term resource plan to take place by 2032. Over the coming years, we’ll monitor changes in electricity demand and industrial activity to gather more information. This will inform our decision making for the next planning cycle.
Emergency preparedness planning
In the summer of 2023, unprecedented wildfires impacted the electricity system in the Fort Nelson region. Currently, our operations team is working on enhancements to ensure energy security and emergency response programs are prepared for future climate events.
Fort Nelson's current power sources
The Fort Nelson region currently has two power sources: the Fort Nelson Generating Station and a long transmission line connecting to the Alberta electrical system. Each power source on their own has enough capacity to serve the community demand over the planning horizon. If one supply is unavailable, the community is served with the other supply.
The figure below shows how much electricity demand we expect over the next 20 years as well as the supply available. We expect to have enough power to serve our customers' future electricity demand over the next 20 years in Fort Nelson.
Exploring a low-carbon future
Long-term electricity planning looks out over the next three to 20 years. We're seeing an increase in policies and regulations being implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and these policies may affect the operations of our natural gas-fired Fort Nelson Generating Station. Future government policies may limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. To prepare for this, we're exploring what future renewable options are available to meet the electricity needs of the Fort Nelson region.
Alternative sources of electricity supply are available in Fort Nelson. All involve trade-offs in terms of cost effectiveness, technological certainty, and sufficiency to meet our long-term need for power. More work needs to be done to clarify the alternatives and before any decisions are made.
Over the long term, possible resource options may include:
| Resource option | Description |
|---|---|
| Local geothermal | A local geothermal resource may be available near Fort Nelson to provide a portion of the total electricity needs of the community. |
| Carbon capture and sequestration or utilization | This is a technology that would allow the Fort Nelson Generating Station to continue to use fossil natural gas, but instead of releasing greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, they would be stored underground, and still meet total electricity needs. |
| Renewable fuels | Renewable fuels (such as biomethane, hydrogen, or other decarbonized gases) may be transportable to Fort Nelson to allow the gas plant to continue to provide the total electricity needs of the region. |
| Local biomass | A local biomass resource may be available near Fort Nelson to provide a portion of the total electricity needs of the community. |
| New transmission to connect to BC Hydro's integrated grid | Connecting Fort Nelson to BC Hydro's integrated system would mean building a new long transmission line between the BC Hydro's existing integrated system in the Peace Region to the community of Fort Nelson. |
| Wind, solar and batteries | A combination of wind, solar, and batteries could be deployed to provide a small portion of the total electricity needs of Fort Nelson. |
| Smaller-sized units | Future federal regulations may allow for a reconfiguration of Fort Nelson to smaller-sized units. The plant could continue to meet total electricity demand, using fossil natural gas as fuel while still meeting regulations. |
How the plan is reviewed
The Fort Nelson long-term resource plan is reviewed by the B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC). Currently, the information included in the plan is specified in section 44.1(2) of the Utilities Commission Act.
The BCUC’s Resource Planning Guidelines provide general guidance regarding Commission expectations of the process and methods for utilities to follow in developing plans that reflect their specific circumstances. The guidelines also state that “[t]he Commission will review resource plans in the context of the unique circumstances of the utility in question.” While we expect the Fort Nelson Long-Term Resource Plan will meet the requirements of section 44.1(2), the level of analysis and information included in the plan will reflect the relatively smaller scale of resource planning for Fort Nelson compared to the integrated system.
Reports and documents
As we develop reports and documents related to the Fort Nelson long-term resource plan, we'll add them here.
| Description | Documents |
|---|---|
| Draft plan | Draft 2024 Fort Nelson Long-term Resource Plan [PDF, 722 KB] |
Fall 2023 Engagement
|
Presentation [PDF, 547 KB] Engagement Summary [PDF, 333 KB] |
Spring 2024 Engagement
|
Presentation - Fort Nelson First Nation [PDF, 638 KB] Presentation - Prophet River First Nation [PDF, 641 KB] Presentation - Dene Tha' First Nation [PDF, 632 KB] Presentation - Community [PDF, 646 KB] |
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BC Hydro is collecting your personal information for the purpose of establishing a contact list to keep you informed about our Fort Nelson Long-term Resource Plan initiative (framework and plan) and engagement activities. Your personal information is collected under the authority of Section 26 (c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for B.C. If you have any questions concerning how your personal information is handled, or to update your information or unsubscribe, please contact the Fort Nelson Long-term Resource Plan Project Team Administrator at energy.planning@bchydro.com.
Contact us
If you'd like more information about this plan or the BCUC process and how to participate, contact us at energy.planning@bchydro.com.