B.C.'s new industrial projects face 90% electricity shortfall
A new report warns the province cannot meet power demands from proposed mines, AI data centres, and export terminals without massive grid expansion.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
British Columbia is facing a staggering electricity shortfall that could threaten the viability of major industrial projects now in the pipeline.
According to a report released June 17 by the Canadian Climate Institute, if only half of B.C.'s proposed industrial projects proceed, the province will face an electricity gap of 110 per cent by 2035—the second-highest shortage in Canada after Alberta. That's far higher than comparable regions like Washington state (60 per cent) and Ontario (50 per cent).
The shortfall is driven by demand from fast-tracked mines, artificial intelligence data centres, and liquefied natural gas export terminals, all of which require nearly constant power supplies. Even with BC Hydro's recent aggressive moves—including $1 billion invested in energy efficiency in May and 1,100 megawatts of wind-power agreements signed in 2025—the gap only shrinks to just below 90 per cent.
Kate Harland, research director of clean growth at the institute, said the province's challenge is stark. "B.C. has a larger gap than some of the other provinces or jurisdictions that we see," she said.
Werner Antweiler, an energy economist at the University of British Columbia, was blunt about the math: "It's completely inconceivable that jurisdictions like B.C. will expand the grid to accommodate all requests from industry. These are astronomical numbers."