FortisBC

FortisBC Inc. (electricity)

FortisBC Inc. is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a Canadian, investor-owned corporation.

1897: West Kootenay Power and Light Company Ltd. were incorporated by act of parliament

1916: WKP was purchased by Cominco.

1986: Teck Resources Ltd. acquired a significant stake in Cominco. The two companies merged in 2001.

September 1, 1988 – West Kootenay Power and Light Company, LTD became West Kootenay Power, Ltd.

October 22, 2001: West Kootenay Power Ltd. was acquired by Utilicorp Networks Canada (British Columbia) Ltd.

May 31, 2002: Utilicorp Networks Canada (British Columbia) Ltd. became Aquila Networks Canada (British Columbia) Ltd.

September 2003: Fortis Inc. acquired Aquila’s Alberta and BC distribution and retail assets for $1.4 billion, including a large section of the Alberta transmission grid that Aquila had purchased from TransAlta for $600 million in 2000.

June 1, 2004 - Aquila Networks Canada (British Columbia) Ltd. became FortisBC Inc.

Allegations of misinformation and greenwashing

On March 3, 2022, a government-industry study commissioned by Fortis BC., the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and the BC Bioenergy Network was released. This document was then edited 9 days later to remove several paragraphs that portrayed natural gas unfavorably. Sections removed included an assertion that electric heat pumps were “six to eight times more efficient than heating with gas” as well as other claims regarding a predicted decline in future pipeline sales. A FOIPPA request from Glacer Media showed that those paragraphs were removed after release on demand of FortisBC’s strategic advisor for climate change and energy, Tyler Bryant, who claimed that he was frustrated with "how you guys are trying to expand the scope of the study". A FortisBC spokesperson and BC Bioenergy Network's director Scott Stanners both confirmed that the removal had occurred as a result of the study's steering committee judging the information out of scope.

Richmond city officials had noticed the removal in November of that year, with the city's director of sustainability and district energy accusing FortisBC of "manufacturing a conversation that suits its long-term goals.". These accusations were echoed by Richmond city counsellor Michael Wolfe and Nanaimo city counselor Ben Geselbracht, the latter of whom accused the report of lying by omission, a claim vehemently denied by Stanners.

In September 2022, a complaint was filed with the Canada Competition Bureau against the Canadian Gas Association claiming that the industry's positioning of natural gas as being eco-friendly was "false and misleading". FortisBC, a member of the Canadian Gas Association, was accused by journalists of promoting similar claims, amongst other allegations of misleading information and "greenwashing".

Hydroelectric generating plants

FortisBC owns four hydroelectric generating plants on the Kootenay River with a total capacity of 225 megawatts (MW). They are the Corra Linn, Upper Bonnington, Lower Bonnington and South Slocan plants.

Corra Linn

The Corra Linn Dam was built in 1932 to control upstream storage by raising Kootenay Lake and generating power through three 19,000 horsepower units operating under the depth of water behind the dam of approximately 16 metres. The aggregate generating capacity is 51 MW. The Corra Linn Dam is located on the Kootenay River, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) downstream of the City of Nelson on British Columbia Highway 3A.

Upper Bonnington

The Upper Bonnington Generating Plant consists of six hydroelectric units in two adjacent powerhouses, a 15-metre-high concrete gravity dam, a powerhouse with two sections, a gated spillway and an overflow spillway. The original powerhouse was built in 1907, upgraded in 1916 and extended again in 1939 for a total rated capacity of 65 MW. The Upper Bonnington Dam is located on the Kootenay River, approximately 17 km (11 mi) downstream of the City of Nelson. Also at the same Bonnington Falls location, but on the other side of the river is the City of Nelson Powerhouse in operation since 1907. In 2018, the publication Hydro Review inducted the plant into their Hydro Hall of Fame, a program that recognizes extraordinary hydro power achievement throughout the world, with a special emphasis on long-lasting facilities.

Lower Bonnington

The Lower Bonnington Dam is composed of a powerhouse behind an intake dam on the right bank of the Kootenay River and a concrete gravity structure approximately 18 metres high. The original dam built in 1897 consisted of a rock-filled timber crib dam that straddled the river upstream of the falls at this site. In 1924, the dam was demolished and replaced with a new, larger plant that included three units that increased aggregate generating capacity to 54 MW. It was then reconstructed in 1964. The Lower Bonnington Dam is located on the Kootenay River approximately 18 km southwest of Nelson, BC.

South Slocan

The South Slocan Dam was commissioned in 1928 and has an aggregate generating capacity of 54 MW. The South Slocan Dam is located on the Kootenay River, near South Slocan, 20 km southwest of Nelson on British Columbia Highway 3A.

Generation plant operations

FortisBC also operates and maintains five generating plants owned by others, with a total generating capacity of 1,322 MW:

Waneta Expansion Project, which is owned by Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust

Waneta Dam, which is owned by Teck and BC Hydro

Arrow Lakes Generating Station, which is owned by Columbia Power Corporation

Brilliant Dam and Brilliant Expansion, which are owned by Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust

Energy offerings

FortisBC offers compressed natural gas (CNG), liquified natural gas (LNG), renewable natural gas (RNG), propane gas, and electricity gained from hydroelectric facilities.

FortisBC is the largest distributor of natural gas, RNG and piped propane in British Columbia, serving more than 1,054,000 natural gas customers in British Columbia. It delivers piped propane to customers in Revelstoke, BC.

The company operates approximately 50,500 km of natural gas transmission and distribution pipelines and has 11 compressor stations. The distribution network includes several underwater pipeline crossings, including under the Columbia and Fraser rivers and the Strait of Georgia.

The Whistler natural gas line was built in conjunction with the Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project, which was completed for the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The natural gas line falls mainly within the highway right of way and brings natural gas to the Resort Municipality of Whistler, which was formerly served by propane.

Liquefied natural gas in the marine sector

FortisBC’s Tilbury LNG facility services marine vessels. FortisBC claims that the use of LNG by marine vessels can reduce emissions GHG emissions by up to 27%, particulate matter by up to 99%, nitrogen oxides by up to 95%, and sulphur oxides by almost 100%.

Electricity

FortisBC operates an electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the South Okanagan and Kootenay regions. In 2021, it opened 10 new stations, giving EV drivers access to highway-grade charging infrastructure. As of April 2023, FortisBC has a total of 42 EV charging stations across 22 sites.

Renewable Natural Gas

In June 2011, FortisBC launched a Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) program for customers in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Interior and the Kootenays. This program collects methane from farms and landfills and mixes it into existing natural gas infrastructure. FortisBC customers can opt into the program and request that up to 100% of their natural gas come from the RNG program.

In 2020, BCUC approved FortisBC’s request to purchase RNG from suppliers outside of BC. The company has signed agreements with RNG suppliers in Alberta and Ontario and the United States. In 2021, FortisBC had signed a total of 30 supply agreements to purchase RNG both in and out of BC. As of 2024, this program provided 2.8 PJ of RNG when compared to 230 PJ or natural gas provided by the company, or 1.2% of the total gas supplied by energy use.

FortisBC sells RNG through both a voluntary program and a mandatory program. Customers who use the voluntary program pay $13.22/GJ of RNG that they purchase. The mandatory program began in July 2024 at a mandatory 1% blend. As of 2025, every customer is allocated 3% RNG and being charged via a biomethane rate rider on their bill.

Propane

FortisBC delivers piped propane to around 1,500 residential and commercial customers in Revelstoke, BC. The piped propane system was first introduced to Revelstoke in 1991 because the city was located too great of a distance from the natural gas distribution system. Currently, propane is supplied to Revelstoke by railcars and tanker trucks, where it is offloaded into storage tanks, vaporized as needed, and distributed to customers through an underground piped distribution system.