Summary

• Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric school is BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion, an award that celebrates B.C. residents, businesses, municipalities, Indigenous and community groups taking action to lower their carbon footprint and adopt clean-energy technologies
• The school is expected to reduce emissions by 89% over 15 years and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions
• The project was supported by CleanBC funding and BC Hydro technical expertise, helping Surrey Schools advance its 2030 emissions-reduction goal

__________

BC Hydro and the Province are supporting cleaner, more energy-efficient public infrastructure with the opening of École Snokomish Elementary, Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric, net-zero-emission school and BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion.

“As Surrey continues to grow, École Snokomish Elementary proves that communities do not have to choose between building new infrastructure and advancing climate action,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “Through its innovative design, this school shows how public buildings can lower emissions, improve comfort for occupants and support a more sustainable future for British Columbians.”

The school is an example of BC Hydro’s Power Smart 2.0 plan, which expands energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs to help people use less electricity, lower costs and reduce emissions as B.C.’s need for clean power grows.

By supporting an all-electric design that reduces the need for fossil fuels in heating, BC Hydro and the Province are helping Surrey Schools advance its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.

From early energy study to major emissions savings

With CleanBC funding from the Province and technical support from BC Hydro, Surrey Schools received more than $14,000 for an energy study that identified the most effective path to an all-electric building. The study helped inform a heat-pump-based HVAC system that provides efficient, low-carbon heating and cooling while helping manage costs.

The finalized design reduced the school’s greenhouse gas emissions to fewer than five tonnes annually, compared with approximately 77 tonnes for a typical Surrey elementary school. Over 15 years, the design is expected to reduce emissions by 89% and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Surrey Schools is proud to be home to BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion,” said Gary Tymoschuk, chair, Surrey Board of Education. “Ecole Snokomish Elementary is a thoughtfully designed and inclusive place, informed by the Indigenous history, knowledge and relationships to the land where we gather today and rooted in the First Peoples Principles of Learning.”

École Snokomish is a Power Smart Champion

École Snokomish Elementary is BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion, an award that celebrates B.C. residents, businesses, municipalities, Indigenous and community groups taking action to lower their carbon footprint and adopt clean-energy technologies. The recognition reflects Surrey Schools’ commitment to efficiency, electrification and practical climate action in public infrastructure.

“École Snokomish Elementary shows the value of investing in energy performance early in the design process,” said Charlotte Mitha, president and CEO, BC Hydro. “It is Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric school and a powerful example of how Power Smart 2.0 is helping customers reduce emissions, improve efficiency and make cleaner energy choices.”

Power Smart 2.0 is BC Hydro’s updated plan to meet growing demand through conservation, energy efficiency and peak reduction. It is expected to deliver 800 megawatts of capacity savings and 2,200 gigawatt hours of energy savings over three years, enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.

Quick Facts:

• Opened in January 2026, École Snokomish Elementary is a 27-classroom Surrey school that can accommodate as many as 655 students from kindergarten to Grade 7.
• Named by the Semiahmoo First Nation, “Snokomish” honours an Indigenous community that once thrived near the Serpentine and Nicomekl rivers.
• École Snokomish Elementary’s distinctive circular form is inspired by an Indigenous wheel, centred around a multi-use courtyard that serves as an outdoor classroom and gathering place.

Learn More:

• To learn about BC Hydro’s Power Smart Champions, visit: https://www.bchydro.com/community/in_your_region/power-smart-champion.html?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=redirect&utm_content=powersmartchampions
• To learn how B.C. is powering growth, visit: https://www.bchydro.com/toolbar/about/strategies-plans-regulatory/supply-operations/powering-growth.html