Called Power Smart 2.0, the collaboration with the B.C. Ministry of Energy aims to avoid spending billions on new power generation
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B.C. Hydro is going big on reducing customers’ energy use to avoid having to spend billions on new power generation in the decades ahead.
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The provincial-government-owned utility and B.C. government announced what is being called Power Smart 2.0, described as “the largest conservation investment in B.C. Hydro’s history.”
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The aim is to help hundreds of thousands of people in B.C. lower their bills and reduce energy use.
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“British Columbians are feeling the pressure of global inflation, and they’re looking for practical ways to reduce costs,” said Premier David Eby. “This plan helps do exactly that by making it easier for families and businesses to reduce their energy bills, while also offering rebates putting more money back in people’s pockets.”
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FP West: Energy Insider
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The premise behind Power Smart is to spend on energy-efficiency programs, because “the most affordable energy is the energy never needed.”
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The goal is to save 800 megawatts of hydro capacity by 2030 and reduce energy use by 2,200 gigawatt hours annually — enough to power 220,000 homes.
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Reducing consumption by that amount will help B.C. Hydro reduce the risk of running short of electricity by 2030, according to the utility’s recent filings with the B.C. Utilities Commission.
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In a 2026 update to its 2025 integrated resource plan, Hydro said it expects electricity demand to be 2,700 gigawatt hours per year higher than expected and needed generating capacity 500 megawatts higher than when the document was first filed.
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That would potentially tip B.C. Hydro into a deficit of almost 1,000 gigawatt hours per year of production and 89 megawatts of capacity, according to the observations of Richard Mason, a former BCUC commissioner who publishes analysis of regulatory proceedings in his blog Just and Reasonable.
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Starting this fall, B.C. Hydro customers can get free smart thermostats — which cost around $350 each — if their home has electric baseboard heating.
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A new rewards plan will give residential customers the ability to earn as much as $200 a year in savings by using less energy. Customers with modest incomes can also earn up to $325 through programs by making energy-efficient choices.
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Also launching this fall is a new mobile app that allows customers to track their power use, use savings programs and manage their Hydro accounts.
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Purchases of energy-efficient products at over 300 stores across B.C. will qualify for instant rebates at checkout.
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B.C. Hydro estimates the energy savings from the program would amount to $2 billion in avoided or deferred infrastructure construction. The program is also estimated to provide $1.4 billion in GDP growth and support 3,500 jobs each year.
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“This includes everything from contractors performing home upgrades, solar panel installers, and designers and builders of new energy-efficient industrial plants, to energy managers and consultants supporting businesses with strategic energy management, integrated energy audits and studies,” said Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs and economic growth.
