Wednesday August 6, 2025 | COLDSTREAM, BC [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
With support from BC Hydro, family-owned B.C. business Restoration Lands Inc. (RLI) today officially unveiled the province’s largest commercial-industrial rooftop solar installation at their Okanagan Eco Industrial Park in Coldstream.
This marks a major milestone in sustainable industrial development and clean energy adoption in B.C, it was stated by BC Hydro today.
Addressing media at the official unveiling was Harwinder Sandhu, MLA (Vernon-Lumby) and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture; BC Hydro President and CEO Charlotte Mitha; and Michael Molnar, CEO and Founder of Restoration Lands Inc.
Sandhu attended on behalf of Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix.
Project profile:
Located on land that was home to a former notable glass factory, the 148,000 square feet solar array is as big as two football fields and features 2,460 high-efficiency solar panels.
Molnar said today that the business plan started as far back as 2016.
The cutting-edge system is expected to produce 1.7 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually – enough to meet a quarter of the current power needs of the mixed-use industrial park or the equivalent of powering more than 150 new homes.
“This is about more than generating clean electricity – it’s about redefining what sustainable industrial growth looks like in British Columbia,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.
“We’re proving that electrified infrastructure and clean energy adoption can go hand-in-hand with economic revitalization, job creation, community building and environmental stewardship,” Dix was quoted as saying.
Funding from BC Hydro:
The installation was made possible in part through BC Hydro’s Load Displacement Program, which helps reduce demand on the provincial grid by empowering large energy users to generate their own electricity onsite.
RLI was able to cover almost 40 per cent of their solar installation cost through a custom incentive of almost $875,000.
Broader shift to scalable, resilient solutions:
“What’s happening in Coldstream is more than a local success – it’s part of a broader shift toward scalable, resilient clean energy solutions across British Columbia,” said Charlotte Mitha, President and CEO of BC Hydro.
“This project exemplifies how innovative partnerships and investments in clean energy can reshape British Columbia’s industrial landscape,” says Mitha.
Job and businesses at the industrial park:
The Okanagan Eco Industrial Park already has 10 diverse businesses including engineering, modular construction and agritech companies operating onsite. With an additional 17 lots ready for development, RLI expects to eventually create or relocate approximately 1,000 jobs to the site.
“This initiative reflects our family’s focus on not just building for today, but also enabling for tomorrow by revitalizing Coldstream with sustainable infrastructure, economic opportunity, and environmental leadership,” said Molnar.
“By transforming the vast unused space on our rooftop into a source of renewable energy, we’re showing how responsible industrial innovation can create a more resilient future.”
Molnar today also spoke proudly of providing an opportunity for new jobs at the industrial park,after a loss of 350 jobs in Coldstream when a previous glass production facility had closed.
Companies and tenants are key part of the business opportunities at Okanagan Eco Industrial Park. Types of businesses include manufacturing, vertical farming, food production and engineering. More agri-tech companies may be coming.
Second phase:
Looking ahead, Restoration Lands is considering a second phase of the project, which could double the current solar capacity and incorporate battery storage solutions, further strengthening reliability and boosting on-site power generation.
This initiative reinforces BC Hydro’s efforts towards advancing energy efficiency, electrification and emissions reduction. Through its $700 million Energy Efficiency Plan, BC Hydro is significantly enabling customers to take on energy-saving tools, technologies, programs and rebates. These measures are expected to deliver 2,000 gigawatt hours in electricity savings and empower customers to manage their energy use more efficiently in the years ahead and save money.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: BUSINESS & ECONOMY | INFRASTRUCTURE | ENVIRONMENT & CLEAN TECH | BC HYDRO | ELECTRICITY & CLEAN ENERGY