Construction begins on BC's $6 billion North Coast power line amid funding and climate concerns

Construction has broken ground on the North Coast Transmission Line, a multibillion-dollar transmission corridor intended to boost Canada’s energy security and serve new industrial projects in British Columbia. The initial segment will run from the Prince George area to near Fraser Lake, with a second phase slated to reach Terrace on the North Coast. Federal and provincial authorities have committed $3.9 billion, and BC Hydro projects a total price tag of roughly $6 billion, aided by a $139.5 million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The line’s primary customer is the proposed Ksi Lisims LNG terminal, which has secured up to 600 MW of power from BC Hydro. Critics such as Stand.earth’s Kiki Wood and Wilderness Committee’s Isabel Siu-Zmuidzinas argue the project prioritises low-carbon hydroelectric power for a high-carbon LNG industry and benefits foreign investors more than local communities. Indigenous groups, including the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan Nations, are questioning who holds authority over the project, even as BC Hydro offers potential 50/50 equity partnerships to 14 First Nations. Observers also note that recent errors in gas-royalty forecasts raise concerns about the true economic returns of such infrastructure.