BC Hydro says Site C dam near Fort St. John now fully operational
VICTORIA — BC Hydro says the Site C dam in northern B.C. is now fully operational after the sixth and final power-generating turbine has come online.
The Crown corporation says in a statement released Saturday that the dam along the Peace River near Fort St. John will now be able to generate 1,100 megawatts of electricity -- enough electricity to power half a million homes per year.
Adrian Dix, B.C.'s minister of energy and climate solutions, says this development means that 'generations of of British Columbians will benefit from reliable and affordable clean electricity.'
With Site C now fully operational, it will serve BC Hydro customers for the next century, says Charlotte Mitha, BC Hydro president and chief executive officer.
Construction of the controversial dam started in July 2015 under former B.C. Liberal premier Christy Clark, and continued under late NDP premier John Horgan, following a review of the project.
With a final price tag of $16 billion, nearly double of its initial price tag, the dam is considered B.C.'s most expensive infrastructure project.
This report by Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press, was first published Aug. 9, 2025.
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