The government said it decided to advance Site C based on the project's benefits to British Columbians, including the fact that, as a third project on one river system, Site C will generate 30% the electricity produced at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam with only 5% of the reservoir area. Site C is also expected to contribute to the local and provincial economy by creating an estimated 7650 direct construction jobs through the construction period, and up to 35,000 direct and indirect jobs through all stages of the project.
The decision to pursue Site C comes at a time when BC Hydro forecasts that the province’s electricity needs will grow by 20 to 40% over the next 20 years.
Construction of Site C will be subject to required regulatory approvals, and ensuring that the Crown's constitutional duties to First Nations are met.
Site C will now advance to the regulatory review phase, which will include an independent environmental assessment. The regulatory review phase is expected to take about two years, and it is anticipated that Site C will be available for domestic electricity need by 2020.
The regulatory review for Site C will involve consultation processes, including opportunities for input and participation by the public, First Nations, stakeholders, communities and customers.
In addition, as part of the environmental assessment process, the project will consider potential environmental and socio-economic effects, impacts to land and water, and options for regional benefits, such as infrastructure and supporting recreational opportunities. Where impacts cannot be avoided, BC Hydro will identify and evaluate potential options for mitigation.
The Site C Clean Energy Project has been evaluated using best practices in project planning and development. This includes a five-stage process that provides multiple milestones for assessing the project and deciding whether to proceed to the next stage.
The provincial government decision to advance Site C to the third stage of project planning and development, including an environmental review, is based on two years of work by BC Hydro that included comprehensive consultations, as well as environmental and engineering studies.
The BC Hydro report, Stage 2 Report: Consultation and Technical Review [PDF, 4.9 Mb], along with 35 appended studies and reports, is available at: www.bchydro.com/sitec.
