BC Hydro to build $1 billion in Fraser Valley electrical infrastructure

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – BC Hydro will build approximately $1 billion in capital projects in in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Mission, Hope and Harrison Hot Springs over the next decade, the government of British Columbia announced Aug 28.

The province announced BC Hydro’s updated 10-year capital plan in January with $36 billion in regional and community infrastructure investments across the province, a 50 per cent increase in investments over its previous capital plan.

“Expanding electricity capacity in the Fraser Valley will help people and businesses get the clean and affordable power that they need to run their homes and keep the economy growing. These new projects will make sure B.C. continues to be a leader helping people switch from fossil fuels to clean energy while creating thousands of good-paying jobs,” B.C. premier David Eby said.

“In growing regions like the Fraser Valley where we are seeing substantial population growth, and residential, commercial and industrial electrification, we are embarking on significant upgrades to our electricity system, including investments in our substations, transmission lines and distribution network to ensure we can continue to provide reliable and clean electricity to our customers,” BC Hydro president and CEO Chris O’Riley said.

“We are also investing millions on dam safety improvements at generating stations in the area and making important changes to our customer connections process to speed up timelines for newly constructed homes and buildings,” he added.

Some of the Fraser Valley projects include:

Approximately $800 million to expand transmission capacity, especially within the systems serving Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Hope.
Approximately $75 million to expand capacity for Atchelitz substation in Chilliwack, powering up to 14,000 new homes by 2027, Clayburn substation in Abbotsford, powering up to 17,500 additional homes by 2028 and Mount Lehman substation in Abbotsford, powering up to 35,000 more homes by 2029.
Approximately $80 million invested in dam safety improvements and equipment upgrades at Wahleach, Stave Falls and Ruskin generating stations.

Twenty-five million dollars has been set aside for extending underground infrastructure and expanding distribution capacity in Mission, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.