BC Hydro is in the early planning stages of a capital project that will ensure electricity is moved from the Peace Region to homes and businesses across the province.
“The Peace region generates about 30% of electricity in the province and there’s new generation that’s planned for that region in the coming years. This project will help us ensure that the transmission system that runs from the Peace Region down to Kelly Lake substation near Clinton will allow us to move electricity from the Peace,” says Sabrina Locicero, stakeholder engagement advisor for the Peace to Kelly Lake Capacitors Project.
“We’re beginning consultation on the project alternatives and where we’re at right now is we are looking for input to those alternatives so we want to hear from stakeholders, we want to hear from local governments, and we’re going to be consulting with First Nations.”
Three project alternatives that propose up to 4 new capacitor sites to be built have been identified. In addition, Locicero says there would be existing capacitors that BC Hydro would consider to upgrade or decommission including the McLeese capacitor station, and upgrades at the Williston substation in Prince George.
The existing 500-kilovolt transmission lines in the area are already at 95% capacity.
“Doing nothing isn’t an option in this case because we know we have that increased generating capacity that’s going to be coming online in the Peace Region, and we have different loads throughout the Province that we’re going to have to meet in the coming years,” says Locicero.
BC Hydro hopes to identify one leading alternative by early 2019 with the project expected to be complete between 2024 and 2026.