Premier David Eby is insistent that it will go ahead, and that he’ll call a snap election if the legislature votes against Bill 31, which would speed up the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL). Eby’s NDP government has only a one-seat edge in the House.
“Our government is committed to the 10,000 jobs that this bill represents,” said Eby. “We’re going to deliver those for British Columbians. And I would stake our government on that. We have to be ready.”
The cost estimate is naturally subject to question as a result of BC Hydro’s flawed projections on the cost of the Site C power dam. As columnist Vaughn Palmer told Vancouver Sun subscribers: “The Site C budget doubled, from the $8 billion range when the B.C. Liberals greenlighted construction 11 years ago to the current $16 billion. The COVID-19 pandemic accounts for $1.6 billion. All the rest is mainly attributable to Hydro’s miscalculations and mistakes.”
Palmer added: “Next up for Hydro is the transmission line to the North Coast, stretching from Prince George to Terrace. The New Democrats are currently ramrodding the enabling legislation through the legislature, aiming to get an early start on construction by next summer. . . . Hydro gently suggests that some of the lessons learned at Site C might be applied to that $6 billion (and counting) undertaking as well.”
The NCTL project aims to bring more clean power to communities, industries and projects, including LNG and critical-minerals mining, by way of an expanded 450-km transmission line from Prince George to Terrace.
The proposed NCTL will run approximately 450 km from Prince George to Terrace, expanding clean energy access in northern B.C.
And Eby is also insistent that the NCTL project will involve a significant equity partnership between First Nations, his government, and BC Hydro, in which First Nations will become co-owners of the project. Several First Nations and hereditary chiefs signed an agreement on this in July 2025.
The government also is directing the B.C. Utilities Commission to approve the NCTL project to proceed without going through the normal hearing process. Eby and Adrian Dix, his Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, say this should allow the project to be completed a year to 18 months quicker than planned. And legislation passed last spring exempted the transmission line from the normal environmental assessment process.
Before the legislature now is Bill 31, the Energy Statutes Amendment Act, which will accelerate construction of the NCTL. Among other things, it also limits the generation of new electricity for AI, data centres and hydrogen-for-export projects. And the bill would make permanent a moratorium on new electricity connections for power-gobbling cryptocurrency mines.
Premier Eby: “This legislation will help us move faster on the North Coast Transmission Line, a nation-building project that will deliver clean electricity to responsibly power industrial growth and job creation to increase prosperity for families, communities, our province and our country.
“There are significant opportunities in British Columbia’s traditional natural resource sectors, including mining, natural gas and LNG, and . . . the success of proposed major projects hinges on access to reliable, clean electricity at a competitive industrial rate.”
Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, said: “We must act with urgency to leverage our clean-electricity advantage and grow and diversify our economy. . . . Our new allocation framework will prioritize vital growth in sectors like mining, natural gas and lowest-emission LNG.”
And a government news release said: “Twinning the existing line from Prince George to Terrace and out to Bob Quinn Lake will unlock tens of billions of dollars in real, shovel-ready industrial projects across northwestern B.C., including the north coast. Once operational, the NCTL project is expected to create approximately 9,700 direct full-time jobs, contribute nearly $10 billion per year to GDP and generate approximately $950 million annually in public revenues for the province and municipal governments. Additionally, it will help prevent two to three million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, supporting B.C.’s climate goals while powering economic growth.”
The government says the next major steps include finalizing the route. It says construction is expected to start in the summer of 2026, with phased-in completion targeted for 2032-34.
For one, Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld, the Conservative Party’s oil, gas and LNG critic, says BC doesn’t have enough electricity to meet its current power demands, let alone supply energy and mining projects in the northwest.
He said it would be cheaper (about half the price) to power LNG projects and mines with natural gas instead. “That would be my suggestion, that we go ahead with natural gas, without the North Coast Transmission Line.”
And Green Party leader Emily Lowan has branded spending on NCTL as “a thinly disguised fossil-fuel subsidy that will effectively do nothing to reduce global emissions and will benefit largely American-owned gas projects.”
There’s also the question of how BC Hydro will come up with enough new power to support the new transmission line. BC Hydro has imported power in each of the past two fiscal years due to drought and increased demand, and the suppliers now face increased domestic demand themselves.
As we at Resource Works and the Energy Futures Institute have long pointed out, BC is not as energy self-sufficient as people think:
- Despite being known for its abundant hydroelectric resources, BC is increasingly dependent on electricity imports to meet its needs. In 2023, the province imported electricity equivalent to 20 per cent of its total usage, and this trend is expected to continue. [SOURCE NEEDED] The growing demand for electricity, driven by population growth, new industries, and government policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is outpacing domestic production. This reliance on imported electricity challenges the long-held assumption that BC is self-sufficient in energy, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive and forward-looking energy strategy.
- Natural gas still plays a crucial role: While BC is celebrated for its clean hydroelectric power, natural gas remains a significant part of the province’s energy mix. In fact, BC Hydro relies on natural gas for dispatchable generating capacity, particularly during periods of peak demand. The province’s CleanBC Roadmap has set a goal to phase out natural gas-fired electricity generation by 2030, but this could jeopardize the reliability of the system, especially during times of low hydroelectric output. This reliance on natural gas, often from outside the province, raises questions about the sustainability and resilience of BC’s electricity supply.
- The grid is struggling to keep up with demand: As BC’s population grows and more sectors electrify, the province’s electricity grid is under significant strain. The distribution grid, in particular, is struggling to keep pace with the rapid development, delaying or limiting new projects, including much-needed housing. Additionally, aggressive targets for electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the Zero Carbon Step Code for new buildings are putting further pressure on the grid. Significant investments in infrastructure upgrades, including substations and distribution networks, are essential to meet this growing demand and avoid project delays and potential blackouts.
- Renewable-energy potential is underutilized: While BC has substantial renewable-energy potential beyond hydroelectric power, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, these resources are underutilized. For instance, BC’s installed wind-power capacity is only 747 megawatts, which is significantly less than Alberta’s 4,748 megawatts. [SOURCE NEEDED] Similarly, solar power and geothermal energy are in their infancy in BC. Expanding these renewable energy sources could help diversify the province’s energy mix, reduce its reliance on imports, and enhance the overall resilience of the electricity system.
- Energy policy lacks a comprehensive framework: BC’s energy policies are currently fragmented, with various programs and initiatives that lack a cohesive strategy. The provincial government’s Clean Energy Strategy and other policies focus on specific goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting electric vehicles, but they do not provide a comprehensive plan for addressing the province’s overall energy needs. This lack of an integrated energy plan has led to ad-hoc decision-making and uncertainty, particularly around electricity allocation for industrial projects. A more unified approach is needed to ensure that BC’s energy system can meet future demands while maintaining reliability, affordability, and environmental sustainability.
So while the government’s thinking on the North Coast Transmission Line is positive, it has to do some serious thinking, and planning, about where all the new power is going to come from.
Photo credit to THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
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