Wednesday June 4, 2025 | VANCOUVER, BC – reporting from VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
“This is different from a call for power. This allows us to seek options,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions today.
He was joined in Vancouver by BC Hydro President and CEO Chris O’Riley for an announcement titled ‘BC Hydro launches new actions to power B.C.’s clean-energy future’.
BC Hydro is determined to act equally on the conservation side, according to Dix, who said the utility is to “use electricity more efficiently and get savings for people”.
“There’s going to be a role for everybody,” the long-time NDP cabinet minister said.
To date, BC Hydro rebates and customer supports have been government backed and various programs have been limited to things like tweaking existing billing rates and tips for conservation at home.
Clean power & energy efficiency:
In today’s announcement there are some new opportunities in clean power and energy efficiency for securing BC’s electricity future.
The load demand of the future (which is now) includes powering new homes, as well as growing businesses and industry.
The goal is to see reliable, renewable, and safe electricity to meet peak electricity demand, capacity and base-load energy. Dix says the mix for providing that electricity will be further diversified.
The BC government is looking for market-ready efficiencies, Dix outlined.
Wealth tied to electricity:
We’ve got to to build our economy here, not just in BC but in every region of the country. We’ve got to create wealth here,” said Dix.
Dix went back in time to remind about how the first big hydroelectricity dam in the 1960s supported significant economic growth in BC at that time. The with free trade in the late 1980s there was also a boost in wealth (while, indeed, making Canada too dependent on the United States).
This year, the Site C hydroelectric dam is being added to the electric delivery network which is expected to generate enough electricity to power 500,000 homes and increase supply by 8%.
Trade war:
“This is an attack on Canada by an administration that does not respect our country,” said Dix about Trump’s continued economic challenges through tariffs and threats against Canada’s sovereignty.
“This is not going to stop. This is a new era,” said Dix about economic development and climate change.
Export/import:
“In drought years there is a lot of discussion about the export and import of power. This year is looking better than last year with regard to having to import power under drought conditions,” Dix outlined.
“We’ve got to build out clean energy,” said Dix, saying there are increasing demands in the community and by business growth as well as by the critical mineral sector, at ports, in the energy sector, the digital tech sector, and more.
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BC Government news release:
BC Hydro launches new actions to power B.C.’s clean-energy future
June 4, 2025 _ Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions
BC Hydro has launched two requests for expressions of interest (RFEOI) to explore the next era of the province’s power potential, expand clean-energy resources and advance energy efficiency.
These actions are critical to ensuring a stable, reliable electricity system that supports new housing, businesses and industries while keeping energy costs affordable for people.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the world in clean energy and we’re acting with urgency to make sure every British Columbian benefits,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “By expanding our clean-power supply and increasing energy efficiency, we’re securing our power grid, building a resilient electricity system and creating sustainable jobs that drive economic growth.”
The first RFEOI focuses on expanding B.C.’s long-term capacity to meet peak electricity demand as consumption patterns evolve. BC Hydro is seeking ideas on capacity and baseload energy projects, including geothermal, pumped storage and hydroelectric resources. Capacity and baseload projects can reliably deliver firm power and provide backup for intermittent energy projects, such as wind and solar that rely on external, uncontrollable conditions such as the wind blowing or the sun shining to deliver power.
The second RFEOI targets innovation in energy efficiency by identifying partners capable of delivering market-ready technologies that help conserve energy in homes and buildings. Through the RFEOI, BC Hydro seeks to collaborate with industry leaders and forward-thinking organizations to help people in British Columbia save energy and lower costs.
Energy efficiency is the cleanest and least expensive way to meet increasing demand for power. The energy-efficiency RFEOI supports BC Hydro’s comprehensive Power Smart energy savings program and complements BC Hydro’s $700 million expanded Energy Efficiency Plan, which increases investments in tools, technologies and rebates. These initiatives encourage energy-conscious decisions and help customers reduce electricity consumption. BC Hydro estimates that this plan will save customers $80 million annually and deliver more than 2,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity savings by 2030, the equivalent of powering more than 200,000 homes.
“We are looking beyond the near term and opening up exploration of the next chapter of B.C.’s energy future by advancing the dialogue with industry participants and potential partners around clean-technology investments and expanding our leading energy-efficiency programs,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “With BC Hydro’s long-standing legacy of delivering clean, reliable power, these initiatives will drive growth, sustainability and energy security, creating new opportunities across British Columbia.”
The information gathered from both RFEOIs will guide future energy planning and procurement strategies. Submissions will close in September 2025.
Both initiatives are part of the recently announced Clean Power Action Plan, an ambitious strategy to strengthen energy security, enhance system resilience and accelerate the transition to clean power. The plan also includes:
- launching a second call for power to acquire a target of as much as 5,000 gigawatt-hours per year of energy from large, clean and renewable projects, which builds on the success of the 2024 call for power and resulted in 10 new renewable-energy projects, with First Nations asset ownership between 49% and 51%, capable of powering about 500,000 new homes;
- investing more than $12 million from the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy fund in a targeted three-year call for new, made-in-B.C. clean-energy technologies that will combat climate change and create sustainable jobs; and
- streamlining connections to B.C.’s grid to enable new homes and businesses to access clean electricity faster and less expensively.
Through these actions, BC Hydro is reinforcing its commitment to delivering clean, reliable energy, supporting British Columbia’s transition to a low-carbon economy and ensuring electricity remains affordable, sustainable and accessible to all residents.
Quick Facts:
The following BC Hydro actions will power more than one million new homes in the coming years:
- adding the Site C hydroelectric dam, which will generate enough electricity to power 500,000 homes and increase supply by 8%;
- bringing new renewable wind and solar projects into service from the recent call for power, collectively powering 500,000 homes and boosting supply by 8%; and,
- expanding investments in energy efficiency, expected to save 2,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 200,000 homes.