Site C is BC Hydro’s third dam and hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River in northeast BC. It is expected to provide 1,100 megawatts of capacity and 5,100 gigawatts of energy.

Construction started in summer 2015 and is expected to be fully in service by fall 2025.

1983 BCUC decision

In 1983, the BCUC rejected BC Hydro’s application to build the dam. At that point, the forecast cost for Site C was $1.1 billion in 1981 dollars, excluding interest during construction.

BC Hydro’s September 1981 mid-point load forecast showed annual demand by 1992/93 would be 59,700 GWh.

The BCUC said the evidence did “not demonstrate that construction must or should start immediately or that Site C is the only or best feasible source of supply to follow Revelstoke in the system plan.” The BCUC concluded that growth in demand would be “relatively weak for the balance of the decade”, and that BC Hydro’s “probable” load forecast should be considered as “optimistic.”

According to BC Hydro’s annual report, 2022/23 demand had reached 54,260 GWh.

2010 Clean Energy Act

Section 7 of the Clean Energy Act exempted BC Hydro from the need to apply to the BCUC for approval prior to starting construction.

The BC government gave final approval to start the project in December 2014.

2017 BCUC Site C Inquiry

At the request of the BC government, the BCUC conducted an inquiry into Site C. The BCUC concluded that the Site C Project was not on schedule for its November 2024 in-service date, not within its budget of $8.335 billion (and may be in excess of $10 billion), and that there were alternative sources of energy with similar benefits at equal or lower cost.

The government decided to continue with the project.

Were are we now?

The Site C dam is scheduled to be in service by the end of 2025, at a cost of at least $16 billion in as-spent dollars.