BC's CleanBC Policy and the Search for New Hydroelectric Dams

Original Article: "Policy Choices, More Than LNG, are Driving BC's Search for New Dams" Author/Source: GlobeNewswire

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Published: June 25, 2026

British Columbia's provincial government has announced that BC Hydro is actively studying two large new hydroelectric dam projects, one at Site E on the Peace River and another near Bute Inlet at Homathko. Together, these proposed projects could deliver more than 1,600 megawatts of generating capacity and produce between 6,000 and 7,500 gigawatt hours of electricity annually. However, both projects are estimated to take more than a decade to complete when accounting for consultation, permitting, financing, and construction timelines.

The announcement has drawn pointed commentary from Barry Penner, Chair of the Energy Futures Institute, who argues that the scramble for new electricity supply is not primarily being driven by LNG exports or industrial growth, but rather by the BC Government's own CleanBC policy framework. According to BC Hydro's filings with the BC Utilities Commission, the province's Zero Carbon Building Code and restrictions on natural gas space and water heating equipment are projected to add approximately 10,300 gigawatt hours of annual electricity demand by 2050. When projected electric vehicle demand is added, that figure rises to approximately 16,450 gigawatt hours per year, the equivalent of more than three Site C dams worth of new electricity generation.

By comparison, BC Hydro's own February 2026 Reference Load Forecast projects that electricity demand from the oil and gas sector, including LNG, will increase by approximately 7,800 gigawatt hours between 2025 and 2050. This means CleanBC building electrification and transportation policies are projected to drive more than twice the electricity demand increase compared to the LNG sector, directly countering the common public narrative that LNG is the primary driver of BC's electricity supply crunch.

The article also highlights mixed signals around natural gas generation. BC Hydro recently advised regulators of the need to retain gas-fired generation capacity at facilities in Campbell River and Taylor rather than proceeding with planned phase-outs, citing the need for dispatchable capacity to meet winter peak demand as early as 2030. BC Hydro subsequently issued a clarification stating it was not pursuing new natural gas peaking plants, but acknowledged in a regulatory workshop that few reliable alternatives exist for meeting future winter peak demand.

Penner further noted that while the BC Government has stated all electricity supply options are on the table, it has preemptively excluded modern nuclear energy from consideration, even as Ontario pursues nuclear development and the federal government has released a new national nuclear energy strategy.

Key Takeaway

The central argument of this article is that BC's electricity supply crisis is largely self-inflicted through aggressive electrification policy mandates that were introduced without adequately accounting for their cumulative demand on the provincial grid. The search for new mega-dams and the reluctance to fully abandon natural gas generation reflect a growing acknowledgment that earlier assumptions underlying CleanBC were fundamentally miscalibrated. The policy debate has shifted from whether BC needs more electricity to how much more large-scale generation infrastructure may ultimately be required to support the government's own stated climate objectives.

This summary is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full original article via GlobeNewswire and review the referenced BC Hydro filings with the BC Utilities Commission for complete data, context, and sourcing.