Whereas electrification of industrial operations presents an opportunity to help meet British Columbias climate objectives and grow British Columbias resource sectors; And whereas inadequate grid capacity, slow interconnection processes, and high industrial power rates are major barriers to electrification, delaying projects and increasing costs: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to expand grid capacity, streamline interconnection processes, and ensure competitive industrial power rates to support industrial electrification.
Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions The Ministry and BC Hydro are collaborating to address unprecedented growth in electricity demand across the province. In June 2025, BC Hydro launched a Request for Expressions of Interest to identify new capacity and firm baseload projects to meet peak demand and enhance system reliability. This builds upon the completion and operation of all six generating units for Site C with a capacity of 1,100 MW and annual generation of 5,100 GWh. BC Hydro is planning to construct a sixth generating unit at the Revelstoke Dam that will add 500 MW to the system. BC Hydro is also expanding its electricity supply through two recent Calls for Power, which will add nearly 10,000 GWh of clean, renewable energy annually. These initiatives are central to BC Hydros 2025 Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a comprehensive strategy to meet forecasted load growth, including major system expansions such as a sixth generating unit at the Revelstoke Generating Station and twinning the North Coast Transmission Line NCTL. The Provinces Clean Power Action Plan released in May 2025 sets the stage to deliver clean electricity to support our economic and climate objectives through the 2025 Call for Power mentioned above, a Request for Expressions of Interest for capacity generation and energy efficiency initiatives. The Province is streamlining interconnection processes and fast-tracking priority electricity and transmission projects to ensure BCs growing clean electricity supply supports provincial and national economic priorities. The Province recently introduced Look West, a targeted strategy to deliver major projects, expand skills training, and grow key sectors to strengthen the economy while accelerating permitting for clean energy projects. Bill 14, the Renewable Energy Projects Streamlined Permitting Act, simplifies permitting and regulatory processes for renewable energy and prescribed transmission infrastructure, enabling faster project delivery and more efficient interconnection to the BC Hydro grid. Bill 31, the Energy Statutes Amendment Act, will help expand grid capacity in Northern BC and provide investment certainty for industrial projects in the mining, LNG and forestry sectors seeking to connect to the NCTL. To support competitiveness for large industrial customers, BC Hydro has submitted its 2025 Transmission Rate Choices application to the British Columbia Utilities Commission, seeking approval for four new optional transmission rates. Average savings are expected to range from 60,000 to 90,000 annually, with potential savings of up to 700,000 for customers that significantly reduce or shift electricity use during peak periods. If approved, these optional rates will be introduced in April 2026 without replacing existing rates. BC Hydro has a target to keep rate increases between fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2031 below cumulative inflation. BC Hydros rates are among the lowest in North America. In a 2024 comparison of rates published by Hydro Quebec, BC Hydros residential rates were the third-lowest among the 22 North American utilities surveyed.