Questions and answers for 2025 Call for Power
Answers to questions on the 2025 Call for Power Request for Proposals (RFP), RFP process, and related documents issued during the call process are posted on this page. Proponents can use the 2025 Call For Power question submission form to submit questions online.
Questions and answers provided are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the 2025 Call for Power RFP and are for general information only. They do not constitute legal or other advice and do not amend or form part of the RFP, unless confirmed by Addendum or revised RFP documents. Should there be any differences between the responses on this page and the RFP or Specimen Electricity Purchase Agreement (EPA) issued by BC Hydro when the Call for Power is launched or subsequently updated, the RFP and the Specimen EPA shall prevail.
Answers to questions will be added regularly. Registered proponents will receive a notification whenever new answers are posted.
August 29, 2025
42. Can one project (i.e. one bid submission) have two Points of Interconnection? For example, Project A has a nameplate capacity of 200MW, consisting of 100MW connecting to two adjacent Points of Interconnection with separate Interconnection Requests. This may allow projects to achieve economies of scale while avoiding congestion on a single Point of Interconnection.
As outlined in Table 1 of Section 2.2 of the RFP (Project Eligibility Requirements) a project must have single Point of Interconnection.
41. Is BC Hydro able to advise if my project is better suited for the Call for Power RFP or the Request for Expression of Interest RFEOI for Capacity?
BC Hydro is unable to advise whether a whether a project is best suited for the RFP or RFEOI. Interested parties are responsible for ensuring that their projects meet the requirements of the RFP and its associated Schedules and/or the RFEOI. Please seek professional guidance as necessary to help with that assessment.
40. If a CEAP Interconnection Request was submitted to include a wind resource with a battery energy storage system (BESS), can the BESS be dropped later at RFP submission?
In Table 1 of Section 2.2 of the RFP (Project Eligibility Requirement), it states that "the technical parameters of a Project as described in a Proposal must be consistent in all material respects with the technical parameters forming the basis of the corresponding CEAP IR. A material inconsistency would include any inconsistency that, in BC Hydro's opinion, could reasonably be expected to have an impact on the proposed interconnection including Network Upgrade schedule or any costs to be borne by BC Hydro in relation thereto. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing the Plant Capacity specified in a Proposal must be less than or equal to the installed capacity reflected in the corresponding CEAP IR."
Given the foregoing, if dropping the BESS results in a material inconsistency between the technical parameters of a Project described in a Proposal and the corresponding technical parameters in the CEAP IR, a Project, could be ineligible in the RFP.
39. Does this RFP exclude biomass generation?
As noted in Table 1 of Section 2.2 of the RFP (Project Eligibility Requirement), the entire energy output from the Project (excluding Auxiliary Fuel) must be from a single resource type and must qualify as a Clean or Renewable Resource as defined under the Clean Energy Act.
38. Are Proponents permitted to change the parameters of their bids (e.g., Project Size, Commercial Operations Date (COD), equipment specifications, etc.) between what is submitted in the CEAP IR and the Proposal Schedules? And can I change my CEAP IR after it has been approved?
As specified in Table 1 of Section 2.2 of the RFP (Project Eligibility Requirement), the details contained in the CEAP IR must be consistent in all material respects with the information that is provided pursuant to the Schedules of the RFP. A material inconsistency would include any inconsistency that, in BC Hydro's opinion, could reasonably be expected to have an impact on the proposed interconnection including Network Upgrade schedule, or any costs to be borne by BC Hydro in relation thereto. This is important because the cost of Network Upgrades are considered in the evaluation.
Accordingly, Proponents should not change the details in their Proposal, otherwise the project may not meet the eligibility requirement. Notwithstanding the above, the COD reflected in the CEAP IR may be different from the Proposal if the Interconnection Feasibility Study (as defined in the Open Access Transmission Tariff [OATT]) conducted by BC Hydro determines that the COD proposed in the CEAP IR cannot be met due to the time required to complete Network Upgrades.
In this circumstance, the COD in the Proposal Schedule may differ from the COD in the CEAP IR provided that the COD in the Proposal Schedule falls between the date by which BC Hydro determines that Network Upgrades may be completed and October 1, 2033.
We provide the following illustrative examples for clarity: A change to COD may or may not be material depending on whether or not the change has implications to the Network Upgrade cost estimate and schedule which could be impacted by how many months the COD moves between what was proposed in the CEAP IR and the Proposal Schedules.
A COD cannot move to an earlier date in the Proposal Schedules than what was proposed in the CEAP IR because it may not be possible to accelerate the schedule of the Network Upgrades on the BC Hydro System. A change in the make, model, number of turbines is not expected to be material as long as the maximum injected capacity is consistent or less than the corresponding Interconnection Feasibility Study.
Please note there is no opportunity for the Proponent to revise the Interconnection Request (IR) during the CEAP once the IR becomes valid.
37. Can details on the Registration Form be amended after it has been submitted? For example, changing the name of the Entity or the Parent Company?
Yes, the Registration Form may be amended after its submission. Please refer to Section 6 for more details.
36. What are the evaluation bid price adjustments and formula to be used in the 2025 Call for Power?
Please refer to Section 11.2 in the RFP for an explanation of how the bid price adjustors are to be applied at Evaluation. BC Hydro will generally use the same formulas as the 2024 Call Illustrative Evaluation Price Adjustor Formulas [PDF, 214 KB] example with updates to reflect the 2025 Call evaluation, subject to BC Hydro's discretion to modify if/as needed.
35. Would BC Hydro consider flexible-term EPAs to support financing of a hybrid pumped storage hydro project that could be built in tandem with wind and solar resources ahead of the COD?
As outlined in Table 1 of Section 2.2 of the RFP (Project Eligibility Requirement) the entire energy output from the Project (excluding Auxiliary Fuel) must be from a single resource type and must qualify as a Clean or Renewable Resource. In addition, the Specimen EPA is not subject to negotiation or modification other than as described in Section 12.1 in the RFP.
34. The BC Hydro transmission system nearest my potential project is at capacity with no point of interconnection available. Will my community solar projects be eligible under the BC Hydro Call for Power?
Please review Section 2 on the eligibility requirements for the 2025 Request for Proposals, including the Interconnection Feasibility Study Agreement eligibility requirement in Table 1 where, a Proponent must submit a new interconnection request to participate in the 2025 CEAP. This CEAP process will review the feasibility of interconnecting your proposed project. Please refer to the 2025 CEAP website for key dates and submission instructions. If your community project is below the minimum project size that is eligible for the 2025 Call for Power RFP please refer to BC Hydro's other programs, including Self-generation.
33. When considering an expansion to a project that was successful in the 2024 Call for Power, please confirm that the collector substation is part of the interconnection facilities that can be shared. Specifically, can the additional wind turbine generators be connected to the low side of the main power transformer of the project substation, provided the correct switching and metering are in place on the MV bus to conform with operational requirements?
As per Section 2 .2 Table 1 as described the sharing of the transmission related facilities is permissible.
32. If a project has the potential to be built in phases, with additional generation added in each phase, should all phases be in one submission, or should each additional phase be a separate submission?
Addendum 2 has been issued to clarify that phased projects are not eligible for the 2025 Call for Power RFP. As outlined in Section 2.2 Table 1 of the RFP, and Schedule 7 Specimen EPA a Project must have a single COD. As outlined in Section 2 of the RFP, for clarity, Proponents may not submit multiple, or alternative, Proposals for a Project(s) on the same site. However, a Proponent may submit separate Proposals for Projects on different sites. Subject to satisfaction of the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 2.2 Table 1 of the RFP, an expansion to a project that was awarded an EPA in the 2024 Call for Power could be eligible. However, we will not consider two different Proposals submitted in the 2025 Call for Power, where one Proposal is dependent upon another Proposal. For example, where Proposal A is a generating facility and Proposal B is an expansion to the generating facility in Proposal A.
August 28, 2025
31. In completing Section 1.1(b) of Schedule 3 – Project Information Requirements, which line item from the CEAP Interconnection Request Generator Interconnection Data Form should Proponents reference to report the aggregated plant generating capacity? Specifically, should this correspond to Line 3.02 (Maximum Power into BC Hydro Transmission System at POI), Line 3.03 (Total Contracted Capacity), or Line 3.04 (Total Installed Capacity of All Generators)?
The item 3.04 "Total of the MW installed capacities of all generators, should include existing and new" of the Interconnection Request Generator Interconnection Data Form (GIDF) notes the total generating capacity of the proposed generating facility and should be referenced in Section 1.1 of Schedule 3 (Project Information Requirements).
For clarity, 3.02, 3.03, and 3.04 in GIDF are intended to capture only the new proposed generating facility's values. If a 2025 CEAP Interconnection Request is connecting a project to an existing Point-of-Interconnection (POI) with an existing or planned generating facility, do not include the existing or planned facilities values in these cells.
For clarity, 3.02 (maximum power that the plant plans to inject into the BC Hydro Transmission system at POI) must be lower than the 3.04 value due to the losses on the IPP's system between the POI and the generating facility.
30. Can an advisor advise on, or work with, more than one Proponent (including First Nation members of the Proponent Team) on different Proposals in this RFP? If so, what kind of disclosure must be made to BC Hydro, if any, and what steps does the advisor need to take?
An advisor to one Proponent Team may be an advisor to another Proponent Team subject to compliance with Section 14.11 (No Collusion) and Section 13 of the RFP (Conflict of Interest, Relationship Discloser and Restricted Parties). Note that Section 13 of the RFP includes a potential requirement for BC Hydro's written approval to enable an advisor to advise two separate Proponent Teams.
29. Is there any risk of a Project being rejected if it is too large for the proposed Point of Interconnection (POI), or will BC Hydro just increase the cost of the Interconnection to account for all the System Upgrades required to accommodate the Large Project?
The technical feasibility of interconnection can be confirmed only through an Interconnection Feasibility Study. It is possible that an interconnection of a very large project may not be technically feasible depending on the POI selected. If the interconnection is technically feasible and BC Hydro can identify Network Upgrades, BC Hydro will issue an Interconnection Feasibility Study including a good faith cost estimate of Network Upgrades. BC Hydro's evaluation process is detailed in Section 11 in the RFP.
Specifically, BC Hydro will consider Projects that meet the Eligibility Requirements presented in Table 1 of the RFP, which includes the Interconnection Feasibility Study Agreement requirement. Furthermore, the input of Network Upgrade cost in the Evaluation Price is described in Table 4 of the RFP.
28. Can a Proponent request an extension to a deadline under the Request for Proposals Schedule?
No, the deadlines are as specified in the RFP Schedule and apply to all Proponents.
August 20, 2025
27. How has the First Nations economic participation model changed since the 2024 Call for Power?
Following engagement with both Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and First Nations, the First Nations non-equity benefits credit has been adjusted, specifically:
The name of the credit has been changed to the First Nations Community Economic Benefits Credit.
Proponents and First Nations will be required to provide attestations indicating that preliminary agreements are in place at the time of proposal submission, rather than a full agreement that was required in the 2024 Call.
A Form 5 must be submitted for each First Nation that is attesting to the existence of a signed Term Sheet or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Each accepted Form will receive an evaluation credit of $1 MWh (for one First Nation), to a maximum of $2/MWh (for two or more First Nations). Refer to Section 11.2 of the RFP for more information.
Upon successful award of an EPA, proponents will be required to submit a letter signed by a representative of the First Nation by the project's COD that confirms a First Nations Community Economic Benefits agreement is in place; if the proponent fails to provide the letter by COD, penalties in the form of a reduction to energy price will apply. See Specimen EPA for details.
BC Hydro has included a non-exhaustive list of examples of economic benefits that count for the First Nations Community Economic Benefits Credit in Schedule 4, Section 3.
26. What are the consultation standards against which BC Hydro will review proponent consultation information?
BC Hydro has set out a list of expectations in Schedule 4 of the RFP. Although not specified in the RFP, it is generally accepted practice to allow First Nations at least 30 days to review and respond to any information provided.
As described in Section 11.1 (e) of the RFP, BC Hydro will not enter into an EPA with a proponent unless BC Hydro in its sole discretion considers BC Hydro has met BC Hydro's consultation obligations to enter the EPA.
25. What are some publicly available sources of information on consulting with First Nations?
BC Hydro encourages proponents to review the resources on consulting with First Nations available on the website of the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, particularly:
(i) Building Relationships with First Nations: Respecting Rights and Doing Good Business [PDF];
(ii) Guide to Involving Proponents When Consulting First Nations [PDF]; and
(iii) Updated Procedures for Meeting Legal Obligations When Consulting First Nations [PDF].
BC Hydro also encourages proponents to review Clean Energy Production in B.C.: An Interagency Guide Book for Proponents [PDF], which brings together statutory, regulatory, and procedural information from resource-based ministries and agencies involved with the review of clean energy projects.
24. Where is a good first point of contact at the Provincial government for proponents to discuss First Nations consultation matters?
Proponents should contact the Clean Energy and Major Projects Office (CEMPO@gov.bc.ca). The Clean Energy Major Projects Office can address high level questions and concerns about clean energy projects and also direct proponents to other sources of information with the Provincial Government.
23. How do I register to submit a Proposal?
Email the completed Registration Form (Schedule 1 [MS Word, 43 KB]) to 2025call@bchydro.com. Once registered, BC Hydro will provide credentials to access the Sourcing Extranet for Proposal submission.
22. Will there be additional informational meetings and how do I register to participate?
As part of BC Hydro's 2025 Call for Power, we will be hosting two virtual Request for Proposals (RFP) Informational Meetings on September 25 and October 2, in accordance with Addendum 1 of the RFP.
As outlined in Section 5.6 of the RFP, we are holding these Informational Meetings for registered Proponents and their affiliates, which should be identified by the registered Proponent's primary contact through the Informational Meeting registration process.
First Nations representatives are also invited to attend.
Attendance at an Informational Meeting is at the discretion of the registered Proponents and First Nations, but registered Proponents who do not attend will be deemed to have received all of the information made available to attendees.
Since the same information will be provided at both meetings, please attend only one of the virtual sessions.
21. How do I submit a question?
To submit a question, use the webform at www.bchydro.com/callforpowerquestions Questions and answers as subject to the terms stated in Section 5.2 – Enquiries and Responses of the RFP.
20. Where can I access the documents / presentations from the engagement sessions?
Documents/presentations from the engagement sessions are available at the following link: https://www.bchydro.com/callforpower/engagement
19. Can BC Hydro please confirm that for the purposes of Bid Security, more than one letter of credit may be provided so long as the aggregate amount of the letters of credit is the same as the amount of Bid Security required in respect of the Project? For example, if the total bid security is $5M, BC Hydro would accept a $2M letter of credit from one party and a $3M letter of credit from another?
Confirmed.
18. Could you please confirm that the address provided by BC Hydro below should not include "BC Hydro" as the organization name?
RFP Administrator – RFP 22357 BC Hydro 2025 Call for Power
333 Dunsmuir Street, Main Floor Lobby
Vancouver, BC V6B 5R3
BC Hydro may be added as the organization name.
17. For the 2025 Call for Power, will BC Hydro allow a renewable energy project to connect to the 500 kV network?
Please refer to the BC Hydro Transmission System Information for the 2025 Call for Power [PDF, 342 KB], where it states "BC Hydro does not allow new generator customers to directly connect at the 500kV level to maintain system integrity and reliability for all customers."
16. Can I participate to both the RFEOI for Capacity and the 2025 Call for Power RFP?
Yes, you can participate in both the RFEOI for Capacity and the 2025 Call for Power RFP. These are separate and independent processes, and participation in one does not preclude or qualify you for the other.
15. Is the Applicant as stated on the Form 1 – Form of Letter of Credit, meant to be the Proponent or can the Applicant be an owner and equity provider of the Proponent?
The Applicant on the Letter of Credit is typically the Proponent, but it can also be the owner or the equity provider of the Proponent.
14. Do we need to submit met tower data for wind resource assessments?
Schedule 3, Section 2.3 outlines the requirements for data submission. No raw data is required to be submitted.
13. How can developers establish which domestic Canadian financial institutions will be acceptable to BC Hydro, for a Letter of Credit? For example, are BNP and HSBC Bank Canada acceptable institutions?
Form 1 – Form of Letter of Credit, page 2, Letter of Credit Requirements, provides the criteria regarding acceptable financial institutions. Developers are responsible for ensuring the letter of credit issuer meets the stated criteria. BC Hydro will not confirm acceptability of the letter of credit issuer beforehand.
12. Are Reciprocating piston Gensets powered by either Natural gas or Biogas permitted to participate?
The entire energy output from the Project (excluding Auxiliary Fuel) must be from a single resource type and must qualify as a Clean or Renewable Resource as defined under the Clean Energy Act.
11. Are the 2024 Call for Power CEAP Interconnection Feasibility Studies valid for the 2025 Call for Power for projects that either didn't win an EPA or were not bid into the Call for Power? In other words, do we have to re-submit the CEAP IR for the exact same project size and POI as was done for the 2024 Call for Power? Or, can we use the 2024 CEAP IR Study?
Due to ongoing system changes, Feasibility Studies are only valid for the same Competitive Electricity Acquisition Process (CEAP) they were completed in. Therefore, in order to meet the Interconnection Feasibility Study Agreement eligibility requirement as detailed in Table 1 of the 2025 Call for Power RFP, a Proponent must submit a new interconnection request to participate in the 2025 CEAP. Please refer to the 2025 CEAP website for key dates and submission instructions.
10. Can U.S. companies participate in the RFP?
Section 2.1 in the RFP provides information regarding the eligibility of U.S. Suppliers, pursuant to the Tariff Response Procurement Directive (No. 1) issued by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under the Economic Stabilization (Tariff Response) Act (British Columbia), U.S. suppliers are not eligible to participate in this RFP.
9. What are the site control requirements under the RFP? Specifically for Crown land, is submitting an investigative licence application sufficient, or must it be approved before the proposal deadline? Should the expected approval date be included in the proposal schedules?
Schedule 3 Section 3.2 outlines the evidence of Site Access/Control information requested as part of the RFP. For Crown land, please refer to Section 3.2(d) which states to include Investigative Use License and/or Accepted Investigative Use License Application and/or submitted Investigative Use License Application form for Provincial Crown lands as an Exhibit, where applicable.
August 5, 2025
8. Are the Early Commercial Operation Date (COD) incentive bonuses additive?
Yes. Please refer to Section 8.4 in Schedule 7 – Specimen EPA [PDF, 1.2 MB] for more information.
7. Are there geographic regions or substations where BC Hydro is prioritizing new energy supply due to transmission constraints or projected demand growth?
In the province, more than 70% of the province's electricity is consumed in the major load centers of the Lower Mainland and southern portion of Vancouver Island. Please see the BC Hydro Transmission System Information [PDF, 343 KB] for the 2025 Call for Power.
6. Will BC Hydro allow bundled proposals where generation and storage are combined under a single contract?
Yes, the specimen EPA includes provisions for battery storage. Please note that additional amendments may be required to the Specimen of EPA.
5. Within an energy-only procurement framework, how will BC Hydro evaluate the contribution of storage—such as its role in shaping, dispatchability, or enhancing system reliability? Will hybrid configurations receive additional value or scoring consideration, particularly for their system integration and delivery profile? Additionally, will proposals offering shaped energy in constrained areas be considered higher value during the evaluation process?
A proposal with a Designated Capacity Commitment may receive a credit in calculating the evaluation price if the project can meet the capacity commitment requirements that are specified in the Specimen Electricity Purchase Agreement. Proponents are encouraged to review both Section 11.2 of the RFP and Schedule 7 – Specimen EPA for full details on the capacity commitment criteria and associated evaluation credit.
4. Are there performance expectations, metering configurations, or delivery requirements specific to hybrid projects?
Please refer to Q&A #5. Furthermore, batteries must be charged by generation from the Energy Source and cannot be charged using BC Hydro's integrated system. There may be additional project specific technical requirements identified for a hybrid project in the Interconnection process.
3. Will battery-paired wind or solar projects be eligible under the 2025 Call for Power?
Yes. Please refer to Q&A #1 for more information.
2. Are batteries a generation resource?
No. Batteries are energy storage and not considered a generation resource. Eligibility requirements for the 2025 Call for Power are detailed in Section 2.2 of the RFP. An eligibility requirement, Clean or Renewable Resource, details that "the entire energy output from the Project must be from a single resource type and must qualify as a Clean or Renewable Resource." A Clean or Renewable Resource, as defined in the RFP, which also references the Clean Energy Act, means "biomass, biogas, geothermal heat, hydro, solar, ocean, wind or any other prescribed resource."
1. Is a project that combines run-of-river hydro and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to meet the 40 MW minimum eligible for the 2025 Call for Power (CFP)?
Eligibility requirements for the 2025 Call for Power are detailed in Section 2.2 of the RFP. An eligibility requirement, Clean or Renewable Resource, details that "the entire energy output from the Project must be from a single resource type and must qualify as a Clean or Renewable Resource." A Clean or Renewable Resource, as defined in the RFP, which also references the Clean Energy Act, means "biomass, biogas, geothermal heat, hydro, solar, ocean, wind or any other prescribed resource."
Batteries are energy storage and are not considered a generation resource. As such, a project must consist of a minimum of 40 MW of generation from any Clean or Renewable Resource.
Note that if a project has an Energy Source that is not hydro, wind, solar or biomass; or storage, additional amendments may be required to the Specimen of EPA and batteries must be charged by generation from the Energy Source and cannot be charged using BC Hydro's integrated system.
Additionally, BC Hydro also has a 2025 Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for Capacity underway. Participation in the 2025 Call for Power does not preclude proponents from taking part in RFEOI. Interested parties are advised that the 2025 Call for Power process and the 2025 RFEOI for Capacity are independent of the other and participation in one process will not be participation in the other process.