BC Hydro says Site C dam near Fort St. John now fully operational

BC's minister of energy and climate solutions, Adrian Dix, said Site C won't be the last major energy project in the province after becoming fully operational ahead of schedule.

The dam in northern BC is now able to generate 1,100 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power half a million homes per year -- after the sixth and final power-generating turbine came online. The first of the six turbines started to generate power in October 2024.

Dix said this development means that generations of British Columbians will benefit from reliable and affordable clean electricity, with more clean energy projects underway.

"We need to increase the energy we produce," he said, adding this new energy needs to be clean, so the province can meet its economic and environmental goals.

"So this is a really important time, and Site C is a key part of that."

In December 2024, BC Hydro awarded nine wind energy projects, following its first call for new power supply in 15 years. Last month, it launched another call for power, also with a focus on clean or renewable energy sources.

Dix said this decade will be as important in the history of developing clean energy as the 1960s were, when asked about the historic significance of Site C.

With a final price tag of $16 billion, nearly double its initial price tag, the dam is considered BC's most expensive infrastructure project.

Construction of the controversial dam started in July 2015 under the former BC Liberal premier Christy Clark, and continued under the late NDP premier John Horgan, following a review of the project's economics.

Dix acknowledged that Horgan was not in favour of the project, which also drew opposition from local residents and environmentalists.

"He was a critic of the project," Dix said. "He was looking at the contract. He'd given a lot of thought to the project over a long period of time."

Horgan announced in December 2017 that the project would continue. While Site C "should never have been started," cancellation would have added billions of dollars to the provincial debt, Horgan said at the time.

"I think ultimately that was the right decision," Dix said. "You have to look at things and make the right decision for the public interest."

Charlotte Mitha, BC Hydro president and chief executive officer, said in a press release that Site C will serve customers for the next 100 years and "play a critical role in ensuring a stable and reliable electricity system."