BC Hydro, BC’s largest electricity utility, issued the 2024 Call for Power to acquire clean electricity from private sector bidders in conjunction with First Nations equity partners.
Need for energy
In its updated application during the 2021 Integrated Resource Plan proceeding with the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC), BC Hydro provided its April 2023 load forecast, an update to the December 2020 load forecast that had been used in the initial application.
The April 2023 load forecast showed that the “reference” (i.e. most likely) forecast had increased over 2,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, “primarily due to higher loads in the commercial and large industrial sectors”:
Further, available sources of electricity had fallen, “due to termination of certain EPAs and a reduction in the expected generation potential for certain biomass projects”:
As a result, BC Hydro forecast a deficit from as early as F2028, rather than F2031 as previously forecast:
BC Hydro stated it would acquire 3,700 GWh of electricity per year. 3,000 GWh per year would come from “greenfield” private sector facilities as early as fiscal 2029 (i.e. the 2024 Call for Power); 700 GWh per year would come from existing private sector facilities “prior to fiscal 2029.”
The BCUC approved the 2021 Integrated Resource Plan, and conclusively determined there was a need for 3,00 GWh per year of new generation and 700 GWh per year from existing facilities. This determination was made under Section 44.1(9) of the Utilities Commission Act.
Bidding process
The bid timetable was as follows:
The request for proposal contained the following key provisions:
- Newly constructed facilities, producing between 40 megawatts (MW) and 200 MW
- Clean or renewable energy, using “proven” technology
- Access to a point of interconnection on BC Hydro’s integrated system
- Ability to commence commercial operation between October 1, 2028 and October 1, 2031.
- Minimum 25 percent First Nations equity ownership, for a minimum of three years following the start of commercial operation (the definition of “Project First Nation” changed during the course of the bidding process)
Other 2024 Call for Power documents are available here.
Selection of bidders
On September 16, 2024, BC Hydro received 21 proposals, representing over 9,000 GWh per year of clean, renewable electricity.
On December 9, 2024, the government announced that nine bidders of wind energy projects had been selected. Selection of a tenth bidder, of a solar energy project, was announced on December 20, 2024.
BC Hydro announced on February 12, 2025 that it had secured electricity purchase agreements with ten new renewable energy projects, anticipated to generate 4,830 GWh of electricity per year, at a weighted average levelized cost of $74 per MWh (in 2024 prices).
The projects were estimated to attract $5 billion to $6 billion in private capital to fund the development and construction costs, and would create 800 to 1,500 jobs annually during construction.
Nearly all projects have majority First Nations ownership, representing equity of between $2.5 billion and $3 billion.
Exemption from Environmental Review
On May 28, 2025, the BC government passed into law Bill 14, the Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act.
Bill 14 exempted BC Hydro’s nine wind energy projects from the need for an environmental assessment certificate from the Environmental Assessment Office. The one solar energy project did not require such a certificate.
Exemption from BCUC project review
New energy generation projects would normally require a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the BCUC before starting construction. This is set out in Section 45 of the Utilities Commission Act.
These projects, however, do not, thanks to a 2002 Ministerial Order. Persons selling electricity only to BC Hydro (or its energy trading subsidiary, Powerex) are exempt from the need for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
BCUC approves electricity purchase agreements
BC Hydro applied to the BCUC for approval of the ten electricity purchase agreements on February 12, 2025. The BCUC held a written proceeding to the review the application, which was required under Section 71 of the Utilities Commission Act.
BC Hydro admitted that it had not been able to acquire the 700 GWh per year from existing facilities that it had hoped for by F2029. It’s possible that this energy would have been provided by Powell River Energy Inc., which applied in August 2025 to the Canadian Energy Regulator to export that volume of energy from Canada.
In fact, the earliest committed start date for any bidder was now F2031, at least two years after it forecasts electricity deficits. Further, BC Hydro anticipated that 30 percent of the bidders’ generation would be lost due to “attrition”, i.e. bidders failing to start operation on time, or at all.
During the BCUC proceeding there was opposition to approval of two of the agreements from First Nations, and it turned out BC Hydro had received complaints regarding three others.
The BCUC approved all ten electricity purchase agreements on August 25, 2025.