CanREA Welcomes BC Hydro’s 2025 Integrated Resources Plan but Seeks Greater Clarity on Market Outlook
November 12, 2025
Proposed plan recommits to 2025 Call for Power but may not do enough to create the long-term market certainty that industry and ratepayers need
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) applauds BC Hydro for filing its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and moving toward a more agile approach to electricity planning with more regular updates to the IRP.
The plan was submitted October 31 to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for review and acceptance, a process that is expected to take several months. The new IRP includes provisions to reinforce and expand B.C.’s transmissions system, upgrade generating facilities, pursue higher levels of demand-side measures, extend residential battery and solar panel rebates, and—crucially—acquire additional clean, renewable and affordable power to meet the province’s future needs.
“While we are encouraged to see BC Hydro confirming the need for an additional 5,000 GWh/year expected to come online by 2034, as reflected in the current 2025 Call for Power, the plan forecasts significantly lower growth in electricity demand and supply than anticipated,” explained Patricia Lightburn, CanREA’s Director of Policy for British Columbia. “There has been a lot of excitement over the past several years about the projected rise in electricity demand in B.C. from industry and electrification, and we are surprised not to see more of this growth reflected in the plan.”
In 2024, BC Hydro completed its first call for power in 15 years, which resulted in 10 Electricity Purchase Agreements (EPAs) for a total of nearly 5,000 GWh/year of renewable energy, slated to flow to the grid by 2031, from projects with First Nations equity ownership between 49% and 51%. EPAs for the additional 5,000 GWh under the 2025 Call for Power are expected to be awarded in early 2026. The government has committed to holding regular calls for power every two years.
However, the “flexible” approach introduced in BC Hydro’s new IRP, designed to allow the utility to “monitor changing conditions to ensure [it] can continue to support economic growth and meet the evolving needs of [its] customers” appears to walk back that commitment, promising only “additional calls for power as needed.”
Integrated resource plans are a critical tool for utilities, governments and industry alike, setting the stage for policies, planning and investments. CanREA is concerned that without regular and predictable calls for power, it will be more difficult for renewable energy companies and First Nations communities to plan ahead, prepare competitive bids and deliver the lowest-cost electricity possible to British Columbians.
“B.C. is taking meaningful steps toward its clean energy future, and BC Hydro’s work on the IRP provides an important foundation,” said CanREA Vice President of Policy Imran Noorani. “The next step is to align policy and procurement signals to turn that planning into stability for investment. CanREA looks forward to helping bring government, utilities and industry together to bridge the gaps and ensure B.C. fully captures the opportunity ahead.”
CanREA has been actively involved in informing the calls for power processes to ensure they are robust and competitive, and the Association will be engaging with BC Hydro to better understand the forecasts for electricity supply and demand and provide guidance to CanREA’s members on the market outlook for B.C.
