B.C. Hydro is planning to adopt Alternative 2 for its Metro North Transmission Project, which will route the transmission line through north Burnaby, instead of more southern routes proposed by Alternatives 1 and 3.
In a report released by B.C. Hydro Stakeholder Engagement, Alternative 2 has “fewer overall residents and property owners potentially impacted by construction, lower seismic and construction risks, and provides the most capacity for the investment.”
Selection of this plan would require an additional 230 kilovolt underground cable from Burnaby’s Horne Payne Substation by Lougheed and Gilmore to Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant Substation by 6th and Alberta via city streets. The additional 230 kilovolt line will cross Burrard Inlet from Admiralty Point land at Burns Point in Port Moody to B.C. Hydro-owned land south of Barnet Highway. According to the same report, B.C. Hydro plans additional geotechnical drilling in Burnaby along Barnet Highway and Second Ave near the Horne Payne Substation to ensure seismic resistance.
B.C. Hydro warns the province’s current transmission system is at limit. Potential reduced service reliability may cause outages and interruption for 90,000 homes and businesses in the region. The crown corporation needs to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) from the B.C. Utilities Commission before starting construction. Preliminary environmental studies are complete and additional fieldwork is underway.
More information on the project is available at bchydro.com/mnt. Concerned citizens can contact project staff at stakeholderengagement@bchydro.com.
