B.C.’s $16 Billion Energy Gamble Finally Begins Generating Power

Well, it’s finally happened. After decades of debate, opposition, political U-turns, and one eye-watering $16 billion budget, the Site C dam has started producing power for British Columbia. This project has been the province’s most divisive saga since someone thought pineapple belonged on pizza, but at long last, it’s plugged in and delivering electricity to the grid.

It’s been a long road – and not a particularly smooth one either. The Site C dam, nestled just outside Fort St. John in northeast B.C., has been on the books since the 1950s. Yes, you read that right: someone, somewhere, was drawing up plans for this behemoth when Elvis was on the charts, and now, almost seventy years later, it’s finally here. On October 28, B.C. Hydro announced the first of the dam’s six generating units is live and sending power into the province’s electrical grid. And that’s just the beginning; the remaining units will be phased in “one by one” until the whole setup is expected to be fully operational by next fall.

The Stats: A Mighty Addition

So, what’s the pay-off for all that time and $16 billion? Once it’s all up and running, Site C is set to generate around 5,100 gigawatt hours of electricity each year, adding a solid 8% boost to B.C.’s electricity supply. B.C. Hydro must be patting themselves on the back for this one, but here’s the kicker – that $16 billion could have bought us about a billion other things. But instead, we have a massive dam, an 83-kilometre-long reservoir, and enough hydropower to keep B.C. buzzing for decades to come.

Of course, the project didn’t exactly breeze through with everyone’s blessing. Site C has faced opposition from various corners, including numerous First Nations groups who argued the reservoir would flood sacred lands and infringe on treaty rights. Lawsuits were launched, protests held, and the entire project looked like it might sink under its own controversy more than once. Yet here we are.

Political Ping-Pong: From Proposal to Power

The saga of Site C reads more like a political soap opera than an infrastructure project. It was first proposed back in the 1950s, then mothballed, and eventually resurrected by former Premier Gordon Campbell in 2010. His successor, Christy Clark, gave the green light to construction in 2015, declaring it essential for B.C.’s future energy needs. But things hit the rocks again in 2017 when the B.C. NDP’s John Horgan found himself in the hot seat, inheriting a half-built dam that was racking up a rather large tab. His options? Sink the project and eat the billions already spent or let it proceed. In classic Horgan style, he shrugged and said, “We’ve come this far,” and with that, Site C was back on track.

But let’s be clear: this wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. The budget swelled to its current $16 billion, First Nations objections mounted, and environmentalists raised alarms over the impact on local ecosystems. Even now, with the reservoir about 90% full, the debate over Site C is far from settled.

A Gamble on Hydro Power in a Changing Climate

One question lingers in the air like a suspiciously large hydro bill: can B.C. really rely on Site C and other hydro projects in an era of climate unpredictability? Yes, the dam’s a hydropower powerhouse (pun very much intended), but droughts are becoming more common, and water-dependent power sources aren’t quite the steady bet they once were. Still, for now, B.C. Hydro is betting big on Site C to provide the province with a stable, renewable energy source.

As of now, the reservoir is expected to reach full capacity later this fall, giving us a massive water body that took decades, billions of dollars, and an iron-willed determination to build. The people of B.C. may not have asked for it, and plenty have fought against it, but one thing’s for certain: Site C is here to stay, whether we like it or not.

And so, the Site C dam saga closes (or perhaps just begins?) as B.C.’s newest energy titan powers up, ready to flood the grid with enough electricity to light up every Tim Hortons sign from Vancouver to Fort St. John.

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