Vancouver Island communities are set to benefit from a substantial $3.2 billion investment in new power lines, electrical stations, and hydro infrastructure as part of British Columbia's $36 billion upgrade plan over the next decade. This initiative, announced by provincial and municipal politicians at the Horsey Substation in Victoria on July 5, aims to support the island's growing population and the increasing demand for clean energy.

Among the highlighted investments is a new substation in Langford and the replacement of end-of-life underground cables in Greater Victoria's core communities. Langford's new substation, designed to power up to 70,000 new homes, will be the second largest in the Capital Region, addressing the city's anticipated population growth to 100,000 over the next 20 years.

The replacement of aging underground cables in Victoria, Esquimalt, and Saanich is expected to be completed by 2028. This project will boost energy capacity to power more than 100,000 new homes. Additionally, capacity upgrades to power lines in high-growth areas across the South Island and in Nanaimo are included in the funding.

Three hydro dams in Campbell River will undergo seismic upgrades over the next six years to enhance safety and ensure reliable power for downstream communities. On the North Island, upgrades to the system supplying electricity to Port Alice aim to improve outage response and support larger customer connections. Vegetation management will also be enhanced to reduce storm-related outages.

Chris O'Riley, CEO of BC Hydro, emphasized the importance of reliable power: "As more people switch from fossil fuels to clean, renewable electricity, we are seeing unprecedented demand for power and we are investing to ensure our system meets those demands."

Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, noted the necessity of these improvements due to rapid population growth and the province's commitment to clean energy. Overall electricity demand is expected to increase by around 15% by 2030.

BC Hydro is also exploring the integration of large-scale batteries on the island and will replace undersea transmission cables from the mainland. A recent call for new electricity generation sources aims to add about 5% to the province's current supply.

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto highlighted the importance of these upgrades for supporting clean energy choices and addressing climate change

Source: pentictonwesternnews.com