Prince George, B.C.-With several LNG plants proposed for the Kitimat area, B.C. Hydro says it is currently in negotiations with each proponent on what their electricity needs will be and how those needs will be met.

BC Hydro is already making plans for, at the very least, upgrading the 500 kV transmission line from Prince George, and possibly building a parallel 500 kV line from Prince Goerge to Kitimat.

The upgrade would cost about $150 million dollars and would see, three, possibly 4 new substations added to the existing line to boost the power travelling along the existing line. If this project goes forward, it would be ready by the late fall of 2015 or early 2016.

The other project is far more expensive, with a proposed cost of $1.1 billion dollars. B.C. Hydro says the line route would follow the existing line from Prince George to Terrace, and a new leg added from Terrace to Kitimat. B.C. Hydro has already issued a request for proposals for a consultant to carry out the environmental studies needed.

Of course, the development of the projects will depend on the plans of the LNG plants. If they opt to create their own power, then some version of the existing line upgrade would be undertaken to meet other industrial load growth.

But the construction of the parallel line would be put on hold ifthe LNG plants opt to produce their own electricity.

As for where the power will come from to feed down those lines, that is not yet confirmed. Lesley Wood, Senior Stakeholder Relations Specialist for B.C Hydro says Site C wouldn’t even be on line by the time Shell would need power, so other sources of power generation would need to be explored.

"The power could come from IPPs" says Robert Smith, B.C. Hydro Project Manager. But that electricity will not be coming from Kemano. "We fully expect that the new smelter (RTA’s modernization plan) will fully utilize all the power that is generated by Kemano,so there won’t be any surplus power available" says Smith.