BC Hydro commits $3B to upgrade power grid on the Island

The upgrade is part of BC Hydro’s 10-year, $36B Capital Plan. It will include seismic upgrades to three dams near Campbell River, replacing transmission cables that have run their course, and increasing power for fast-growing communities.

According to a release from the province, electricity demand in BC is expected to increase by 15% or more in the next six years.

The Island is one of the most densely populated areas in the province, along with the Lower Mainland. As population increases in multiple communities—and government targets push municipalities to add new homes—the Island’s power grid has struggled to keep up with demand.

Extreme weather events can test the limits of power grids, such as the 2021 Texas power crisis which killed an estimated 250 people during a rare frigid winter in the state, and the rolling blackouts experienced in Alberta this year as grid issues persisted. As heatwaves and winter storms become more frequent, ensuring the Island has a resilient grid will be essential to keeping the lights on.

The Island, which remains connected to the mainland’s power grid through submarine cables, saw these connections compromised after the heat dome hit in 2021. Three key cables began to swell from the heat, with one eventually bursting. The Island’s six BC Hydro stations only generate about 4% of the entire province’s electricity—with that mainland connection cut off, private power companies had to pick up the slack. Experts argue that the demand for power on the Island will only continue to grow. Climate change will bring more adverse weather events that will require a more robust system locally, they say.

Throughout Canada, municipalities will need to rapidly upgrade electricity systems to meet the nation’s zero-emissions targets. According to a 2023 report from the Public Policy Forum, this will require Canada to build more electricity generation in the next 25 years than it has over the last century.

“We must build out BC’s electrical system like never before, to power our homes and businesses, to power a growing economy, and to power our future,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. Osborne said BC Hydro’s Capital Project will create up to 12K new jobs.

‍ For the Island, these new projects include:

• New undersea cables between the Island and the mainland to prevent damage similar to 2021’s heat dome. These new cables will also increase transmission.
• A new substation is planned to open in Langford—the fastest-growing city in BC and one of the fastest in Canada—to power an additional 40K to 70K homes.
• New transmission cables in Victoria, Esquimalt, and Saanich will increase capacity by 60%, powering an additional 100K homes.
• Victoria, Oak Bay, and Esquimalt, having been selected for the province’s mandatory housing targets, will receive increased powerline capacity.
• In Campbell River, three hydro dam systems—John Hart, Strathcona, and Ladore—will get seismic upgrades.