BC Hydro's $6-billion 'nation-building' power line expedited for economic growth | Daily Hive

An electrical transmission line in B.C. (BC Hydro)

The Government of British Columbia has unveiled sweeping new legislative and policy changes to accelerate construction of the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) — a multibillion-dollar BC Hydro electrical infrastructure project expected to power industrial growth, create thousands of jobs, and transform the economic landscape of northern B.C.

Premier David Eby called the project a “nation-building” initiative that will deliver reliable, clean electricity to natural resource and manufacturing industries, while advancing reconciliation with First Nations and supporting Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy.

“This legislation will help us move faster on the North Coast Transmission Line, a nation-building project that will deliver clean electricity to responsibly power industrial growth and job creation to increase prosperity for families, communities, our province and our country,” said Eby in a statement.

You might also like:

The NCTL — a twinned 500-kilovolt line stretching from Prince George to Terrace and north to Bob Quinn Lake — will more than double the region’s transmission capacity.

Once operational, it is projected to create 9,700 direct full-time jobs, contribute nearly $10 billion annually to B.C.’s gross domestic product, generate about $950 million per year in public revenues, and prevent two to three million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The line is considered essential to unlocking tens of billions of dollars in private investment in mining, LNG, critical minerals, ports, and clean manufacturing, as well as emerging industries like AI and hydrogen.

north coast transmission line bc hydro 3

Concept of the North Coast Transmission Line. (BC Hydro)

Construction is slated to begin in Summer 2026, with phased completion targeted between 2032 and 2034.

The NCTL is being developed in partnership with First Nations through a co-ownership model that enables Indigenous communities to invest in and share long-term benefits from the line.

The new legislation will remove regulatory hurdles to speed up development.

“We must act with urgency to leverage our clean-electricity advantage and grow and diversify our economy,” said Adrian Dix, B.C. Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.

“Our new allocation framework will prioritize vital growth in sectors like mining, natural gas and lowest-emission LNG, while ensuring our clean energy is directed to projects that deliver the greatest benefit to British Columbians. We’re taking action to build the North Coast Transmission Line as fast as possible to accelerate the development and construction of major industrial projects and bring good, well-paying jobs to people in B.C.”

site c hydroelectric dam bc hydro august 2025

Site C hydroelectric dam, August 2025. (BC Hydro)

The NCTL is one of 18 priority projects identified by the provincial government as critical to expanding B.C.’s grid and supporting industrial growth.

The project’s estimated cost has risen from $3 billion to $6 billion, and the provincial government is seeking federal support to help cover a portion of the investment. In a June 2024 letter to then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Eby identified the NCTL as one of B.C.’s six major infrastructure priorities requiring federal attention.

The provincial government is now working to have the NCTL designated as a “Project of National Interest” under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new Major Projects Office, which is tasked with expediting projects of significant economic importance and national value.

In September 2025, Carney announced announced the first projects to be reviewed by the Major Projects Office. They include LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, B.C.; the Darlington New Nuclear Plant in Bowmanville, Ontario; the Contrecoeur Container Terminal Project in Quebec; the McIlvenna Bay Foran Copper Mine in Saskatchewan; and the Red Chris Mine expansion in northwest B.C.

Other major projects are also under early consideration for inclusion, but require further planning, such as the proposed Alto high-speed rail service between Toronto and Quebec City.

Meanwhile, Global Container Terminals is seeking a similar designation for its Deltaport Berth 4 expansion project in Tsawwassen, and Vancouver City Council has expressed interest in obtaining the same status for the provincial government’s UBC SkyTrain extension.

You might also like: