BC Hydro is holding a series of public info sessions on an expansion project for the region.
The crown corporation is planning to add a new 500-kilovolt transmission line from the Williston Substation near PG to its Glenannan Substation near Fraser Lake to meet increasing demands for clean electricity in the northwest.
An information session was held earlier this week in PG at the Sandman Signature Hotel where roughly 150 people showed up.
Spokesperson, Mike Kellett told Vista Radio the project is still in its early stages and a designated route has not been picked yet.
“We advised attendees for community members to engage with property owners and others and basically our plan is to start selecting a leading route by the fall of 2023.”
Kellett added homeowners and businesses had no shortage of questions.
“We discussed the routing options that are being considered and they were also interested in the electrification of industry in the area as well as transmission and environmental studies.”
“We are expecting that it will support industries that want to reduce their use of fossil fuels and decrease their use of greenhouse gas emissions. One other thing that is really important is that we are consulting with First Nations, engaging with property owners and stakeholders to discuss routing options.”
BC Hydro stated the current 500 kV line from the Williston Substation near PG to its Skeena Substation near Terrace is reaching its capacity limit and electricity from the Prince George to Terrace Capacitors project, which is currently under construction, is already fully subscribed.
A trio of open houses is taking from Monday to Wednesday in Burns Lake, Smithers, and Terrace. The crown corporation also held sessions in Vanderhoof and Fraser Lake.
A list of potential routes can be found here.
Once a route is finalized, construction would start in 2026 with a targeted in-service date slated for 2030.