Stantec wins major contract to modernize British Columbia’s electrical grid

Stantec has been awarded a contract by BC Hydro & Power Authority (BC Hydro) to deliver transmission and distribution engineering services alongside project delivery expertise. This agreement supports BC Hydro’s 10-year capital plan to upgrade its electrical grid, ensuring reliable energy supplies and driving the province’s clean energy transition.

The CAD$186-million master services agreement (MSA) holds an initial term of seven years, with the potential to extend to twenty years. Stantec’s role encompasses a broad range of services, including transmission and distribution design, substation engineering (electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, and geotechnical), project management, scheduling, cost control, procurement, and contract management. Additionally, they will handle materials management, equipment management, and logistics.

This latest collaboration builds upon the existing partnership between Stantec and BC Hydro. Stantec will provide comprehensive support throughout the project lifecycle, from initial system assessments and environmental permitting to Indigenous consultation, engineering design, construction management, and post-construction monitoring.

“Stantec is proud to assist BC Hydro in this major endeavor to modernize and expand the electrical grid in British Columbia,” says Mario Finis, executive vice president of Energy & Resources at Stantec. “Renewable energy generation is only part of the transition to a clean energy future. We must also design, build, and maintain the transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to safely and reliably deliver clean energy to meet the needs of our communities. Stantec will be there to support these grid modernization efforts in British Columbia and around the world.”

BC Hydro unveiled its 10-year capital plan, titled “Power Pathway: Building BC’s Energy Future,” in January 2024. The plan outlines BC Hydro’s investment strategy for maintaining and expanding the province’s electricity system. It prioritizes three key objectives: supporting provincial electrification and achieving CleanBC’s emissions reduction targets, strengthening the grid to facilitate customer connections and accommodate rising demand, and ensuring the system’s sustainability to reliably meet customer needs while maintaining low rates.

Stantec’s Energy & Resources division is a leader in the industry, delivering power delivery services and solutions tailored to the evolving needs of global communities. Their global portfolio encompasses evaluating, designing, and commissioning transmission, substation, distribution, energy storage, and grid modernization projects. Currently, Stantec serves as Owner’s Engineer for the SunZia Transmission Project, a cornerstone of the biggest clean energy infrastructure initiative in US history, designed to deliver 3,000 megawatts of clean power to communities across the southwestern United States. Stantec’s teams also provide specialist services for over a dozen major high voltage direct current (HVDC) projects internationally.