SURREY, B.C. – The Province of British Columbia will construct approximately $1 billion in capital projects in Surrey, B.C. to upgrade and expand electric capacity in the region.
In January, B.C. announced BC Hydro’s updated 10-year capital plan containing $36 billion in regional and community infrastructure investments throughout the province.
“We must build out B.C.’s electrical system like never before to power our homes and businesses, to power a growing economy and to power our future. In Surrey, throughout the Lower Mainland and in communities across B.C., these construction projects will create thousands of good jobs over the next decade and ensure that people have access to clean, affordable and reliable electricity, when they need it and where they need it,” said B.C. Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Josie Osborne in a statement.
Surrey-focused projects in the capital plan include:
- Building a new substation in Surrey Centre that will power 20,000 to 35,000 homes and be in service by the end of 2032;
- redeveloping the Scott Road substation with upgrades to the transmission connection to power an additional 10,000 to 17,500 homes by 2032;
- expanding the McLellan substation in two phases that are expected to be in service in 2026 and 2028, and will power an additional 40,000 to 70,000 homes; and
- building a new substation in Campbell Heights that will also power 20,000 to 35,000 homes and be in service by 2032.
Surrey will also see an additional $700 million investment to reinforce the transmission system, including:
- The Metro South Transmission project to reinforce the transmission system connecting Ingledow substation in Surrey to substations in Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond;
- the Fraser Valley Transmission project to upgrade connections in Surrey, Abbotsford and Chilliwack to provide additional capacity; and
- the Fraser Valley Capacitive Reinforcement project to add equipment at McLellan and Clayburn stations to ensure reliable energy supply across the region.
Investments are also being made for transmission and distribution infrastructure to enable operation of the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain, the release said, with work expected to be completed by spring 2025.