The BC Hydro plan for meeting electricity demand over the next 20-plus years has been accepted by British Columbia’s utilities regulator. In its Oct. 27, 2026 decision, the regulator also identified new energy and generation capacity needs for the utility.
Key Takeaways
- The regulator determined that BC Hydro needs 5,000 gigawatt hours of clean or renewable energy from new facilities by 2034.
- BC Hydro was directed to file its next long-term resource plan by Dec. 31, 2028.
What the BC Hydro plan requires
The British Columbia Utilities Commission determined that BC Hydro also needs to acquire 400 megawatts of generation capacity by 2030. The accepted 2025 integrated resource plan follows the utility’s previously accepted 2021 plan.
The commission said electricity demand is expected to keep growing, although the pace and extent remain uncertain. It found the plan to be in the public interest after a review that considered input from interveners and the public.
Gas plants and future demand
To help meet near-term capacity needs, the commission considers it reasonable for BC Hydro to continue using a natural gas peaking plant on Vancouver Island and a natural gas cogeneration plant in northeastern British Columbia. It also encouraged the utility to pursue clean energy resources as the system grows.
The review considered whether BC Hydro had examined a reasonable range of potential demand from industries including liquefied natural gas facilities and data centres. It did not assess whether supplying electricity to those industries is appropriate, which the commission said is a matter of government policy.
Next planning deadline
BC Hydro must file its next long-term resource plan with the commission no later than Dec. 31, 2028. The regulator uses such plans to inform its review of applications including capital projects and energy purchase agreements.
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