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COQUITLAM, B.C. – BC Hydro announced it will build approximately $360 million in capital projects in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and the Village of Anmore over the next decade to upgrade and expand the electricity grid.

The January the government of British Columbia announced BC Hydro’s updated 10-year capital plan, which contains $36 billion in regional and community infrastructure investments across B.C.

“We must build out B.C.’s electrical system like never before to power our homes and businesses, to power a growing economy and to power our future. Throughout the Tri-Cities and in communities across B.C., these construction projects will create thousands of good jobs over the next decade and ensure that people have access to clean, affordable and reliable electricity when they need it and where they need it,” provincial minister of energy, mines and low carbon innovation Josie Osborne said.

“In growing regions like the Tri-Cities where we are seeing substantial growth in housing, building, transportation and business growth, we are embarking on significant upgrades to our electricity system, including investments in our substations, transmission lines and distribution network to ensure we can continue to provide reliable and clean electricity to our customers. We are also making important changes to our customer connections process to speed up timelines for newly constructed homes and buildings,” BC Hydro president and CEO Chris O’Riley said.

The $360 million is being invested in several projects including:

• redevelopment of the Barnard substation to service Burquitlam and central Coquitlam, scheduled to be in service by 2029;
• improvements at the Buntzen Lake 1 and 2 generating facilities to address seismic and reliability risks; and
• an upgrade and relocation of the 230kV switchyard control building at the Burrard Synchronous Condense site.

Transmission and distribution investments will support new residential developments, load growth in Burquitlam, central Coquitlam and Fraser Mills communities, as well as the energy requirements at Translink’s new additional operations and maintenance centre currently under construction, the release said.