The main water licences were issued to BC Hydro’s Site C project by the deputy comptroller of water rights today.

Two conditional water licences allow BC Hydro to store up to 165 million cubic metres of water and divert from 390 cubic metres of water per second to 2,700 cubic metres of water per second from the Peace River for the purposes of power generation. One permit allows for the creation of a reservoir to cover approximately 9,580 hectares of Crown land along the Peace River.

All three authorizations are for a period of 40 years and require construction to be completed before Dec. 31, 2025. Prior to construction of the dam and spillways, BC Hydro must have approved engineering plans, an emergency response plan and an environmental management plan in place.

Conditions in the water licences are consistent with environmental assessment certificate conditions. The provincial and federal governments granted approval for Site C in October 2014.

The Site C project will require several hundred separate authorizations over the life of construction. More than 30 different authorizations have already been issued for dam site clearing and construction activities.

The Province continues to consult with First Nations on all authorizations that will be required for the project.

Site C will provide approximately 10,000 direct jobs during construction. The project will generate enough electricity to power about 450,000 homes per year, an 8% increase in supply to BC Hydro’s system in 2024.

Upon completion, Site C will provide a century of affordable, reliable and clean power that will keep rates low, support British Columbians’ quality of life and enable increased investment and a growing economy.