The government’s bill to accelerate the construction of the North Coast Transmission Line passed third reading Wednesday evening, despite opposition from B.C. Conservatives and the Greens.
Bill 31 effectively gives Cabinet more power to decide which industrial clients and projects can tap into the province’s energy grid, and enables First Nation’s co-ownership of the transmission line.
Premier David Eby had said he would stake his government on passing the bill, hinting that the vote could be made a confidence motion to trigger an election if it failed.
The bill passed thanks the NDP’s one-seat majority.
It passed despite the Conservatives’ efforts to delay the bill by six months by introducing a hoist motion last month, which was voted down.
Opposition leader John Rustad questioned the project’s high price tag and whether B.C. even has enough electricity to power the line.
“This legislation hands even more unchecked power to Cabinet, weakens oversight, and still doesn’t guarantee B.C. has the electricity required for the very projects the Premier is promising,” said Rustad in a statement Thursday. “British Columbians deserve energy security, transparency, and responsible long-term planning, not political ultimatums and manufactured crises.”
The project is intended to support the construction of future major projects in B.C.’s north, such as mining and LNG expansion.
The first two phases of the project are estimated to cost $6 billion, twinning the existing line running from Prince George to Terrace. The third phase includes the construction of new transmission infrastructure from Terrace up to Bob Quinn Lake. It is not yet clear how much the third phase would cost.
“The BC Conservatives have tried and failed to block this essential component of our jobs plan,” said Energy Minister Adrian Dix in a statement. “We’re going to get this built as fast as possible to accelerate other projects and create thousands of good-paying jobs for British Columbians.”
Green MLAs Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell supported the bill through its second reading, hoping to see amendments made to “improve transparency and accountability,” including more consultation with First Nations. They said in a statement Wednesday they ultimately voted against the bill because the government rejected their recommendations.
“The BC Greens want British Columbians to access this province’s clean energy advantage. However, the Premier and Minister have made it clear that the North Coast Transmission Line is being advanced primarily as a public subsidy for LNG projects, rather than as a long-term investment in BC’s clean energy future,” said Valeriote.
The transmission line is a key part of the NDP government’s new “Look West” long-term economic strategy, outlined Monday.
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