Regulated utility FortisBC is putting out the feelers for power providers that can help add 1,100 gigawatt-hours (gW-h) of renewable and low-carbon energy to B.C.’s Southern Interior by 2030.

The request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) is aimed at developers experienced at building biomass, biogas, hydroelectricity, solar, wind and geothermal projects in the province, with a minimum size of five megawatts per project.

"As our customers' energy needs grow, we are working with Indigenous and local communities, local governments, businesses and organizations to meet this rising demand,” Joe Mazza, FortisBC’s vice-president of energy supply and resource development, said in a release.

Projects that emphasize Indigenous equity or are Indigenous-led are of particular interest to FortisBC.

FortisBC provides natural gas and electricity to 1.3 million homes and businesses in B.C., according to its 2023 sustainability report. In the same document, the company says it delivered 3,478 gW-h of electricity and delivered 213 petajoules of natural gas in 2023.

FortisBC’s Southern Interior power search

A key reason for the RFEOI is a surge in power demand. FortisBC said it is receiving electricity demand exceeding expectations in the Southern Interior because of population and economic growth, combined with rising electrification.

Demand for gas and electricity has risen by approximately 10 per cent over the last five years, Gary Toft, a senior advisor of corporate communications at FortisBC, told Sustainable Biz Canada in an email exchange.

To accommodate the need for more energy in the Southern Interior, FortisBC proposed investing in the F. A. Lee Terminal Station, adding transformers at substations in Kelowna and building new substations, feeders, a transmission line, a transformer and supporting infrastructure by 2040.

A specific mix of energy sources in the RFEOI is not set, he added. When asked if the request will include any fossil fuel sources, Toft said, “We are interested in innovative, lower-carbon and renewable energy projects as defined under British Columbia’s Clean Energy Act.”

As the RFEOI is not a procurement process, FortisBC is seeking general information on potential projects, he continued, so the utility does not know how much electricity it will be able to purchase, or the cost of the supply.

To adhere to its Indigenous relations principles, FortisBC is “very interested in projects that have a strong Indigenous equity component or are Indigenous-led,” Toft said.

FortisBC will be asking prospective partners about the project’s engagement with Indigenous and local communities, such as if the company is “working with Indigenous and local groups on the development of their existing projects” or “if they are sharing or plan to share in potential benefits arising from the projects.”

FortisBC’s sustainability efforts to date

Its Clean Growth Pathway to 2050 covers goals to reduce its environmental impact by investing in energy efficiency, increasing the supply of renewable and low-carbon gases, advancing low- and zero-carbon transportation and “establishing B.C. as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) centre.”

The company announced in February a $695.8 million investment over four years into rebates and pilot programs to help customers reduce energy use. The result would offsett approximately 740,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), the company said.

From its 2023 sustainability report, FortisBC said its use of renewable natural gas (RNG) avoided approximately 265,000 tCO2e that year.

RNG is touted as a more environmentally friendly alternative to natural gas by offsetting the need to extract more natural gas and using the methane that comes from decomposing food waste or landfills. But if it leaks, it becomes a potent greenhouse gas.

In its 2023 sustainability report, FortisBC outlined investments into measuring methane leaks using technologies like satellites, and to inspect, repair, upgrade and replace equipment and reduce vented methane emissions.

Canadian investments into LNG have received criticism from think tank Ember as it opens companies to having stranded assets and continues the consumption of fossil fuels.