BC Hydro has received a strong response to its call for new renewable power-generation projects while it continues to build out and strengthen B.C.’s electricity grid, creating jobs and supporting clean growth in communities such as Vancouver.
“We need more clean energy to power our homes, businesses and industries, to power growing communities and to power our future,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Building an economy powered by clean, reliable and affordable electricity is one of the job-creation opportunities of our generation. Through regular calls for power and BC Hydro’s 10-year capital plan, we are creating over 10,000 construction jobs and driving sustainable growth across the province.”
In April 2024, BC Hydro launched a call for power to acquire approximately 3,000 gigawatt hours per year (GWh/y) of clean electricity. This is BC Hydro’s first competitive call for power in more than 15 years and will add 5% to its current supply.
In response, BC Hydro received proposals for three times more energy than it was targeting. There were 21 proposals from independent power producers throughout B.C., representing more than 9,000 GWh/y, enough to power approximately 800,000 homes. Of the proposals received, approximately 70% are wind projects, 20% are solar and 10% include biomass and hydro.
The proposals are geographically diverse representing almost every region in the province. Of the 21 proposals, there are eight from the southern Interior, four from the central Interior, five from the north coast, two from the Peace Region and two from Vancouver Island.
After evaluating the proposals over the coming months, BC Hydro will award electricity purchase agreements in December and expects projects to start coming online as soon as fall 2028. The development and construction of new clean-energy projects in response to the call for power will generate an estimated $2.3 billion to $3.6 billion in private capital spending throughout the province and create approximately 800 to 1,500 jobs annually on average.
Unlike other provinces, B.C. is well positioned to add more intermittent renewables, such as wind and solar, to the electricity grid as its integrated, flexible system of hydroelectric dams act as batteries. The reservoirs store water and allow BC Hydro to ramp production up or down almost instantly, providing a reliable backup when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. The cost of wind and solar, and the time needed to construct new facilities, has dropped significantly over the past decade.
As part of Powering Our Future: BC’s Clean Energy Strategy, the Province has committed to conducting regular, competitive calls for power every two years. This will ensure that B.C. has the clean electricity it needs as the economy and population continues to grow while keeping BC Hydro rates affordable for people and businesses.