BC Hydro Launches New Actions to Power B.C.’s Clean-Energy Future
June 11, 2025
BC Hydro has launched two requests for expressions of interest (RFEOI) to explore the next era of the province’s power potential, expand clean-energy resources and advance energy efficiency.
These actions are critical to ensuring a stable, reliable electricity system that supports new housing, businesses and industries while keeping energy costs affordable for people.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the world in clean energy and we’re acting with urgency to make sure every British Columbian benefits,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “By expanding our clean-power supply and increasing energy efficiency, we’re securing our power grid, building a resilient electricity system and creating sustainable jobs that drive economic growth.”
The first RFEOI focuses on expanding B.C.’s long-term capacity to meet peak electricity demand as consumption patterns evolve. BC Hydro is seeking ideas on capacity and baseload energy projects, including geothermal, pumped storage and hydroelectric resources. Capacity and baseload projects can reliably deliver firm power and provide backup for intermittent energy projects, such as wind and solar that rely on external, uncontrollable conditions such as the wind blowing or the sun shining to deliver power.
The second RFEOI targets innovation in energy efficiency by identifying partners capable of delivering market-ready technologies that help conserve energy in homes and buildings. Through the RFEOI, BC Hydro seeks to collaborate with industry leaders and forward-thinking organizations to help people in British Columbia save energy and lower costs.
Energy efficiency is the cleanest and least expensive way to meet increasing demand for power. The energy-efficiency RFEOI supports BC Hydro’s comprehensive Power Smart energy savings program and complements BC Hydro’s $700 million expanded Energy Efficiency Plan, which increases investments in tools, technologies and rebates. These initiatives encourage energy-conscious decisions and help customers reduce electricity consumption. BC Hydro estimates that this plan will save customers $80 million annually and deliver more than 2,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity savings by 2030, the equivalent of powering more than 200,000 homes.
“We are looking beyond the near term and opening up exploration of the next chapter of B.C.’s energy future by advancing the dialogue with industry participants and potential partners around clean-technology investments and expanding our leading energy-efficiency programs,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “With BC Hydro’s long-standing legacy of delivering clean, reliable power, these initiatives will drive growth, sustainability and energy security, creating new opportunities across British Columbia.”
The information gathered from both RFEOIs will guide future energy planning and procurement strategies. Submissions will close in September 2025.
Both initiatives are part of the recently announced Clean Power Action Plan, an ambitious strategy to strengthen energy security, enhance system resilience and accelerate the transition to clean power. The plan also includes:
- launching a second call for power to acquire a target of as much as 5,000 gigawatt-hours per year of energy from large, clean and renewable projects, which builds on the success of the 2024 call for power and resulted in 10 new renewable-energy projects, with First Nations asset ownership between 49% and 51%, capable of powering about 500,000 new homes;
- investing more than $12 million from the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy fund in a targeted three-year call for new, made-in-B.C. clean-energy technologies that will combat climate change and create sustainable jobs; and
- streamlining connections to B.C.’s grid to enable new homes and businesses to access clean electricity faster and less expensively.
Through these actions, BC Hydro is reinforcing its commitment to delivering clean, reliable energy, supporting British Columbia’s transition to a low-carbon economy and ensuring electricity remains affordable, sustainable and accessible to all residents.
Quick Facts:
- The following BC Hydro actions will power more than one million new homes in the coming years:
- adding the Site C hydroelectric dam, which will generate enough electricity to power 500,000 homes and increase supply by 8%;
- bringing new renewable wind and solar projects into service from the recent call for power, collectively powering 500,000 homes and boosting supply by 8%; and,
- expanding investments in energy efficiency, expected to save 2,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 200,000 homes.
Capacity RFEOI Important dates
Please note that all events and dates are subject to change.
| Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| RFEOI issued | June 4, 2025 |
| Online information session To attend this session, please register for email updates. You will receive a link to join the online meeting one day before the session date. | June 10, 2025 at 10 a.m. |
| Question period | June 10 to August 8, 2025 |
| Answer posting period | Ongoing and up to August 22, 2025 |
| Response Deadline | September 8, 2025 at 11 a.m. |
| Review responses BC Hydro may hold meetings with Respondents to obtain further project details during this time. | Fall 2025 |
| Conclusion of RFEOI | Anticipated December 2025 |
Documents
- Request for Expressions of Interest for Capacity [PDF, 259 KB]
- Request for Expressions of Interest – Fillable Questionnaire Template (Appendix A) [XLS, 67 KB]
About the RFEOI for Power Smart Partnerships
The Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) for Power Smart Partnerships seeks information from experienced suppliers of demand-side management (DSM) solutions with capabilities in the following areas:
- Program design
- Consumer education and outreach
- Consumer and/or device enrolment
- Field work and contractor management
- Installation and/or retrofit of energy efficiency measures
- Program recruitment and rewards administration
Responses will help inform the development of near-term procurement strategies, including an expected Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify and establish partnerships with companies who have capabilities in these areas and can offer innovative solutions, speed to market, scalability, and specialized expertise across various customer sectors.
Important dates
The RFEOI will be posted to BC Bid on June 4, 2025 and will be open for responses until September 8, 2025. Any questions must be received on or before August 29 and responses will be posted to BC Bid.
How to respond to this RFEOI
Visit BC Bid and search for Opportunity RFEOI-22500 to access the documents for this RFEOI, including the response form.
Key initiatives
- Second call for power: through the 2025 Call for Power we’ll acquire additional clean energy in partnership with First Nations and independent power producers.
- Increasing capacity: Issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest for capacity resources to explore the development of capacity projects and firm, baseload electricity projects to meet peak demand and back-up intermittent energy resources.
- Advancing energy efficiency: Issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest for Power Smart partnerships to identify innovative clean-tech partners who can deliver cutting-edge, market-ready technologies to help people and businesses conserve energy.
- Speeding up connections: Streamlining access to electricity for new and growing homes and businesses, and reducing costs under a new Distribution Extension Policy.
