B.C. launches second ‘call for power’ to reduce U.S. energy reliance

VICTORIA, B.C. — The British Columbia government has launched a second ‘call for power’ for new clean energy projects to provide enough electricity to power 500,000 homes.

The province is launching a second “call for power” to acquire up to 5,000 gigawatt-hours of energy per year from large renewable projects in partnership with First Nations and independent power producers.

Premier David Eby said in a statement that the plan helps build a strong foundation for the province and Canada “at a time of external threats to our sovereignty and prosperity” from President Donald Trump in the U.S.

The government says it also wants companies to find ways to deliver electricity during peak demand periods and to provide intermittent energy resources to serve as backup, while ushering in an “expanded era of energy efficiency.”

The province says it’s spending more than $12 million from the B.C. Innovative Clean Energy fund in a three-year call for new, made-in-B.C. clean-energy technologies to combat climate change and create sustainable jobs.

Eby said the plan will boost clean-energy supply, power communities and industries, and create thousands of jobs while advancing reconciliation and reducing pollution.

It’s the second call for power projects from the Eby government.

The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions said last year’s initial call resulted in plans for 10 new renewable-energy projects with First Nations asset ownership between 49 and 51 per cent, capable of powering about 500,000 new homes.

The government said in March it was making contingency plans to reduce its reliance on electricity from the United States.

While such plans are typically made to prepare for natural disasters, Eby said at the time that the new threat was a “man-made disaster, made by the president of the United States.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5th, 2025

The Canadian Press