British Columbia is looking into reviving two major hydroelectric projects, including the proposed Site E dam on the Peace River.
The other project would be on the Homathko River near Bute Inlet on the central coast.
Site E, near the B.C.-Alberta boundary, was one of four Peace River dam sites initially proposed in 1958. They included Site C, which was completed in 2025 after about a decade of construction and significant cost overruns.
Plans for Site E were put on hold in the early 1980s, and B.C.’s Clean Energy Act currently prohibits development of the project.
B.C.’s Energy Minister Adrian Dix said Monday the province is only in the early exploration phase for the projects.
He said the government will introduce legislation to change the Clean Energy Act to allow that exploration work to go ahead.
“We’re not removing the prohibition. We’re simply going to make changes to allow us to investigate these projects,” said Dix.
BC Hydro said electricity demand is projected to grow by 50 per cent by 2050.
The province said it is also looking into potential geothermal projects, biomass energy and other emerging technologies to make B.C.’s power system more flexible.
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