VERNON, B.C. — Over the next 10 years, BC Hydro will invest nearly $6 billion in capital projects across B.C.’s southern Interior to expand the electricity grid and upgrade its infrastructure.
The investment will ensure a reliable supply of clean power across the growing region.
In January, the province introduced an update to BC Hydro’s 10-Year Capital Plan, which contains $36 billion in regional and community infrastructure investments throughout B.C., a 50 per cent increase in investments over its previous capital plan, states a release.
The new construction projects are forecast to support 10,500 to 12,500 jobs on average annually and will increase and maintain BC Hydro’s capital investments as major projects like Site C are completed.
To meet growing energy needs, $5 billion is being invested in BC Hydro’s generating facilities:
- About $1.2 billion will go toward improvements to the La Joie dam facility on the Bridge River to address aging infrastructure and seismic vulnerabilities at the site.
- Approximately $3.8 billion in investments is for dam safety, equipment refurbishments, replacements and improvements to maintain continued reliable operation at facilities on the Bridge River system (Bridge River 1 and 2, Seton, Terzaghi, Lajoie), and on the Columbia system (Revelstoke, Mica, Kootenay Canal, Duncan, Seven Mile, Hugh Keenleyside).
Additionally, about $450 million has been earmarked for transmission capacity upgrades, including:
- the West Kelowna Transmission and Westbank Upgrade project, which includes adding capacity at Westbank station to serve up to 26,000 more homes as well as a new transmission connection to provide redundancy to the area, which is currently served by a single transmission line;
- upgrades to support electrification at the Highland Valley Copper mine near Kamloops; and
- the Bridge River project, which proposes to raise the height of structures on transmission lines between Bridge River Terminal station and Kelly Lake substation.
BC Hydro is also investing in new distribution infrastructure to serve more than 15,000 new homes in Kamloops and West Kelowna. About $275 million will be invested in substations to:
- replace end-of-life equipment at Natal substation to maintain reliable supply of energy in the area;
- replace aging infrastructure, such as reactors and switchyard equipment; and
- upgrade station fire protection and telecommunication systems.
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