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Power outage for Telkwa to Kitwanga planned for Sept. 15

BC Hydro has a planned power outage that will affect a large portion of the Bulkley Valley and surronding area on Sunday Sept. 15.
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A planned power outage will take place on Sept. 15 2024 (File photo)

The power will be out from 7 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m.

BC Hydro said the outage is necessary for crews to safely perform a transmission line relocation at the Telkwa substation and is associated with the Prince George to Terrace Capacitors Stations Project. The impacted zone will be from Telkwa to Kitwanga, including all communities in between.

BC Hydro spokesperson Dave Mosure explained a number of industries in the North Coast such as mining and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) developments have requested power from BC Hydro. This project will increase capacity along the existing 500 kV transmission line between Prince George and Terrace to meet customer needs.

The project will see three capacitor stations installed, one near Vanderhoof, a second near Burns Lake and the third near Telkwa.

A capacitor station contains equipment to boost the amount of electricity a transmission line can carry. These stations are fenced, outdoor facilities that must be constructed on flat land, adjacent to or near the existing transmission line. Capacitor stations can significantly increase the capacity of the existing transmission line in a cost-effective, safe, and reliable way, BC Hydro said.

Hydro started constructing Saranovich (Vanderhoof) and Palling (Burns Lake) capacitor stations in October 2022 and Walcott (Telkwa) in January 2024.

Mosure said work specific to the Telkwa site includes clearing the site, constructing the permanent access road, installing a 500 kV tower under the transmission line and relocating a 138 kV transmission line. The last task on the list is the one requiring the Sept 15 outage for crew safety.

The expected in-service date for the new line is 2027/2028.



Marisca Bakker

About the Author: Marisca Bakker

Marisca was born and raised in Ontario and moved to Smithers almost ten years ago on a one-year contract.
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