BC Hydro adds new EV charging sites in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — BC Hydro has surpassed 700 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports across B.C., and two of the newly integrated sites are located in the Peace region.

BC Hydro announced in a November 4th news release that it is taking over 28 EV charging sites previously operated by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, adding 88 charging ports to its provincewide network. 

Among those sites are the Mile 80 Rest Area on Highway 97 north of Fort St. John and the East Pine Rest Area also on Highway 97, about 70 kilometres west of Dawson Creek.

“Surpassing more than 700 charging ports is a clear reflection of BC Hydro’s commitment and leadership in building a reliable and accessible EV public charging network across British Columbia,” said Adrian Dix, minister of energy and climate solutions. 

“This expansion reinforces our commitment to build the infrastructure needed to support the growing demand for electric vehicles.”

The new ports include 33 fast chargers, 16 smaller fast chargers and 39 level two chargers spread across highway rest areas and community hubs. 

Fast chargers and smaller fast chargers use direct current (DC) to charge a vehicle faster, although smaller fast chargers do so at a lower power level. Level two chargers are ideal for longer stops or overnight charging, as they charge vehicles much more slowly.

According to BC Hydro, the sites will transition to its standard energy-based pricing by the end of 2025.

The milestone follows the completion of the province’s Electric Highway in 2024, which placed fast chargers roughly every 150 kilometres along major routes. 

Once the transition of the 28 ministry sites is complete, BC Hydro will operate more than 90 per cent of the Electric Highway network.