BC Hydro Proposes Going Underground to Meet Vancouver’s Electricity Needs

January 23, 2017

BC Hydro is introducing “seed,” a proposed concept to upgrade downtown Vancouver’s electricity infrastructure while funding new community amenities like new schools, daycare spaces and park upgrades. Demand for electricity in downtown Vancouver is expected to grow by over 75% in the next 30 years owing to population and densification.

BC Hydro currently has three substations in the downtown core. The first is Cathedral Square substation, which will be upgraded and continue to be an important part of the system. The others, built in 1947 and 1953, are nearing end of life and need to be replaced.

With “seed,” BC Hydro is the first utility in North America to consider a new, city-wide approach, proposing to build two new substations underground so the space above them can be used for new schools, new daycare spaces and improved parks. The traditional approach to building substations is to find and buy a piece of land, and build a substation on top of it. In downtown Vancouver, this would mean taking up almost half a city block for each new site, displacing other needs such as housing in a growing city where land is scarce and valuable.

BC Hydro was the first utility to build an underground substation in North America. This substation was built in downtown Vancouver and has been safely operating since 1984. Other communities like Toronto (2017) and Anaheim (2007) are now doing the same.

At this stage, the concept has been shared with the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver School Board and Vancouver Park Board for their consideration. BC Hydro is also seeking feedback from the public from January 20 to February 28 through an online feedback form, open houses and roundtable discussions. A decision on whether to proceed is expected by the end of March.