Questions and answers for 2026 Call for Demand

Answers to questions about the 2026 Call for Demand issued during the call process are posted on this page. Applicants can email emerging.industries@bchydro.com to submit questions.

Answers provided are subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the 2026 Call for Demand Request for Applications and are for general information only. They do not constitute legal or other advice and do not amend or form part of the Application, unless confirmed by Addendum or revised documents. Should there be any differences between the responses on this page and the decision issued by BC Hydro when the Call for Demand was launched or subsequently updated, the Application documents shall prevail. Answers to questions will be added regularly.
 

• March 6, 2026
• February 25, 2026
• February 13, 2026

March 6, 2026

51. If we are shortlisted on May 4, 2026, how will the Bid Security be handled? At what point will the Bid Security be returned to the applicant?

In general terms, bid security is returned to applicants if they are unsuccessful in the competitive process or if they withdraw from the competitive process by Sept 1st, 2026. However, if applicants are successful, bid security is returned upon energization. More details can be found in the Call for Demand document, specifically section 12.

50. Could you please confirm whether it would be acceptable to provide a bank draft in lieu of a Letter of Credit for the Initial Application submission, with the formal Letter of Credit to follow by the March 16 deadline for the required physical copy?

As stated in section 12.2 of the Call for Demand document, “bid security is required to be in the form of a letter of credit that complies with the requirements specified in Schedule 8 of the CFD”. To maintain fairness and transparency, we are not able to accept other forms of bid security including bank draft.

49. Without breaking confidential requirements, can you please advise if the proposed data centre owner/operator qualifies under the exemption rules, and if not, have they applied under the new regulations. I am not requesting information specific to the approval or to an application.

We are not able to provide information on the potential applicants for the 2026 Call for Demand. The deadline for applications is March 9, 2026. You can find more about applicant requirements here [PDF, 1.1 MB].

48. I am looking to get some clarification on the Letter of Credit requirement for the application.

1. Does the electronic version need to be just a PDF of the letter, or will it need to be a Swift? If Swift, could you please provide the address?
2. I am assuming the letter will be valid ~1 year. Is March 9, 2026 to March 9, 2027 okay for date range? Should it auto-renew thereafter?
3. Would you like to see a working draft of the Letter of Credit before we submit the complete application?

Further instructions on the Letter of Credit requirements can be found in Schedule 8: Form of Letter of Credit posted on our website. The Letter of Credit takes effect from the Date of Issue and remains valid until [Date]. It will automatically extend for one year unless we notify you at least ninety (90) days prior to expiry.

A draft copy of security may be provided to Treasury for review.

47. We are facing a time-critical issue regarding the bank’s issuance timeline for the Bid Security Letter of Credit (“LC”). Although we initiated the process well in advance, the bank has confirmed that it will not be able to provide the completed and signed electronic copy of the LC by the Initial Application Submission Deadline (11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 9, 2026) due to internal processing timelines outside of our control.

We fully understand that the CFD requires Bid Security to be provided in the form of a Letter of Credit in the prescribed form, and that an electronic copy must be submitted via email with the Initial Application. We are continuing to work with the bank to expedite issuance as much as possible.

Given the above, we respectfully request BC Hydro’s guidance on whether either of the following approaches could be considered acceptable:

1. Bank draft submitted by the deadline, with Letter of Credit proceeding in parallel:

   Would BC Hydro consider accepting a bank draft of equivalent value by March 9, 2026, as an interim measure, while the Letter of Credit is being issued in parallel, with our providing the bank’s written status updates and delivering the executed Letter of Credit as soon as it is issued?

2. Bank undertaking and status updates, pending Letter of Credit issuance:

   If an interim bank draft is not acceptable, would BC Hydro consider a formal written undertaking from the issuing bank (confirming commitment to issue the Letter of Credit in the required form and amount, with a stated issuance date), together with ongoing status updates, pending issuance of the executed Letter of Credit?

3. Any other BC Hydro-approved alternative:

   We would welcome any other approach that BC Hydro may deem appropriate to demonstrate good faith compliance while maintaining the integrity of the CFD process.

We emphasize that our intention is to ensure procedural compliance and avoid any deficiency in our submission, while addressing a timing constraint that is outside of our control. We would greatly appreciate your guidance as soon as practicable given the approaching deadline.

Thank you for your consideration. We remain strongly interested in this opportunity and are ready to proceed promptly in accordance with BC Hydro’s direction.

Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Call for Demand. As stated in section 12.2 of the Call for Demand document, “bid security is required to be in the form of a Letter of Credit that complies with the requirements specified in Schedule 8 of the CFD”. To maintain fairness and transparency in this Call for Demand process, we are not able to accept other forms of bid security including bank draft.   

46. Given the significance of [these partnerships] we are enquiring as to whether a 60-90 day bid extension for the upcoming emerging industries bid is possible? 

We believe a bid extension could provide our community with the greatest chances to benefit from investments in these new and emerging industries. 

We are not able to provide extensions to the deadline for the 2026 Call for Demand. As stated during our information session on February 9th and in the Call for Demand document, the Initial Application Submission Deadline is 11:00:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 9th, 2026. 

Late Initial Applications will not be considered. We anticipate there will be a future Call for Demand in early 2028. 

45. Reaching out in advisory capacity for a client participating in the upcoming 2026 Call for Demand bid– formally requesting a 60-day bid extension to help augment and finalize project submissions. This extension is appropriate in our view given the limited visibility into the bid process ahead of the announcement made by BC Hydro, as well as the relatively tight ~30 day submission timeline. 

It is our view that increasing the bid timeline will allow project submission volume and quality to increase, resulting in clear tangible benefits for local communities and BC Hydro ratepayers via a more competitive auction process. 

We are not able to provide extensions to the deadline for the 2026 Call for Demand. As stated during our information session on February 9th and in the Call for Demand document, the Initial Application Submission Deadline is 11:00:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 9th, 2026. 

Late Initial Applications will not be considered. We anticipate there will be a future Call for Demand in early 2028. 

44. We want to explore the opportunity for data centres and are looking for a partner.

We can provide all the attributes required for participants. Would it be possible to get in contact with them?

We would also like to explore applying as the economic arm of the nation or via the limited partnership.  

As this is a competitive process, BC Hydro is not able to explore or identify potential partners for prospective applicants. There may be other provincial agencies that are better able to assist with partnerships. 

We highly encourage you to view the Call for Demand document along with other documents such as the Project Information Application Form. This will help you gauge the level of details that BC Hydro requires to assess your application. Please note the deadline to submit your initial application and bid security is March 9th, 2026. 

43. Is this application available on an annual basis? Specifically, can an organization apply for a certain amount this year and then submit additional applications in subsequent years if further power is required? 

For example, if we applied and were award 15 MW this year, can we apply for more next year? Assuming that there would be another application process.

An organization may apply for a certain amount within this initial 2-year allocation (for which applications are due March 9th) and may submit an application in the next 1-year allocation anticipated in early 2028. Allocations beyond the 3-years prescribed in the Regulation have not yet been determined (link to Regulation).  

February 25, 2026

42. Could you please confirm whether the affiliated company providing the financial statements is also required to issue the letter of credit?

Would it be acceptable for the letter of credit to be issued by a different entity or individual, for example, another affiliate of the company, separate from the entity providing the financial statements?

The affiliated company providing the financial statements does not need to be the same entity that provides the letter of credit. In other words, it is acceptable for the letter of credit to be issued by a different entity or individual, for example, another affiliate of the company, separate from the entity providing the financial statements. The letter of credit must meet our credit rating requirements.

41. Should this current "Initial Application" timeline be too tight for all of our development ducks to line up in time to make the March 9th deadline (which it will), is there further opportunity to resubmit for Power Supply in the future (i.e., Fall'26 / Spring'27)? Would the same criteria, application and feasibility study fee schedule apply at that time?

As per Q&A # 38, while we anticipate there may be a need for additional calls, we are focused on the current call, which covers the next two years. You can learn more in the Regulations. Future calls would be governed by the regulations, and we are unable to confirm at this time whether the same criteria would apply.

40. At this stage, our focus is on identifying geographies and substations where a staged 50 MW AI deployment could realistically be supported, both technically and from a provincial economic development perspective.

We would value your guidance on:

• Regions where BC Hydro sees near-term transmission capacity for emerging industry loads
• Communities actively seeking large-scale compute or industrial development
• Whether BC Hydro assists in matching prospective loads with serviced industrial land or substation-adjacent opportunities

Our aim is to shape the project appropriately before entering a competitive queue.

As we are formally under the competitive process period, your message has been forwarded to the Call for Demand Administrator for response. As there are many variables to consider, we are unfortunately not able to provide additional information about regions that may or may not have transmission capacity, or provide any matching supports or services at this time.

A good way to determine whether to submit an application under this intake is to review the Call for Demand document as well as the Project Information Application Form [MS Excel, 68 KB]. The Application Form will require you to answer all questions, including providing specific project details (e.g., load request, specific site, etc.) and project benefits.

39. Can we apply for under 9.9 MW through the below form simultaneously as we go through the emerging connections application?

If the requests are for two different projects (e.g. two different sites), one is below 10 MW and the other is 10 MW or greater, the customer may request a major distribution connection (for project below 10 MW) and participate in the Call for Demand (for project 10 MW or above) simultaneously.

If the requests are for the same project, but two different load scenarios (rather than multiple phases), where the customer will choose one option or the other, not both, then the customer may submit simultaneous requests.

However, if it will be multiple phases of the same project where the total load is 10 MW or greater, the customer should only participate in the Call for Demand.

38. I was only able to attend the second half of the information session this week and had one question for your team. I'd also like to note that all the documentation and supporting information have been extremely helpful. Will there be a similar program available in the future? If yes, are you able to share when it might start?

We have posted the information session deck onto our website for your reference. While we anticipate there may be a need for additional calls, we are focused on the current call which covers the next two years. You can learn more in the Regulations.

37. I attended your online Emerging Industries presentation Monday. It was made clear during the meeting that the questions that were put forth after the presentation and the answers thereto were going to be posted online. Could you please send me the link to get that information as I cannot seem to locate it on the Emerging Industries page?

Materials from the Information session are on our website. You can find the presentation materials [PDF, 1.1 MB] and questions and answers for reference. If you've signed up for updates, you will receive notification when we add questions.

February 13, 2026

36. A quick clarifying question regarding the Schedule 4 project information form. Row 34 (Peak Demand) states that the maximum peak demand is 145 MW. Is this expected to change via substation upgrades based on project POI after studies are complete and upgrades are determined? Or are we expected to submit multiple 145 MW applications (in this case three applications) to reach the full 300 MW AI & 100 MW data storage capacity?

As outlined in Table 1 of the Call for Demand document, the size of the request must not be more than 145 MW. An applicant may submit multiple applications for projects in different site, however the maximum request per site is 145 MW. Up to 100 MW and 300 MW have been allocated to conventional data centre and storage data centre, respectively. All applicants will be considered within this allocation.

35. Further to my earlier email. During Monday's Q&A period I specifically asked if an existing site that had 50 MW or more of existing power could be purchased and the existing power used for a data centre to be located on that site. I was immediately and emphatically told that "under no circumstances would that be allowed by BC Hydro." This statement completely contradicts the written information as highlighted below published on page 6 of your document entitled – 2026 BC Hydro Call for Demand for Emerging Industries-Request for Applications, Table 1: Eligibility Requirements for Projects Participating in the CFD.

If the existing site with 50 MW is not a data centre and you are considering purchasing it to be used as a data centre for a load of 10 MW or greater, it would be required to go through the Call for Demand. More information can be found on Table 1 of the Call for Demand.

34. Does project success in the Call for Demand guarantee the electric capacity from BC Hydro?

No. Success in the Call for Demand provides the ability to proceed in the interconnection process. Projects will continue to be required to follow all current rules, regulations, and business practices as part of the interconnections process.

33. For those projects over 10 MW, if they are a non-profit organization looking to build a facility for data archival and AI workloads, does that have to go through the Call for Demand?

Yes. Non-profit organizations with new projects 10 MW or greater must participate in the Call for Demand if it wishes to be serviced by BC Hydro.

32. If we operate a small 1 MW facility and want to expand to 2 MW, do we go through the regular process to connect?

You are not required to participate in the Call for Demand, if the total incremental load after February 1st is not 10 MW or greater.

31. What is the rate per KW? 1830/1611?

You can find information regarding particular rates in the electric tariff.

30. Are you saying that potentially not all 400 MW will be available for this programme.

As outlined in the regulation, BC Hydro will determine how much of the "up to 400 MW" of electricity allocated to the current call based on an assessment of the supply and demand.

29. Are existing industrial sites with existing available power (i.e. 150 MW former Powell River pulp mill), excluded from this competitive process?

We are not going to name specific projects. The project status visual shows the cut off for projects.

28. If independent requests from major Canadian corporations are already in progress how will those requests impact this programme?

Project status impact, on the right-hand side of the visual, we will not be commenting on. There are some projects that fit into the 'green'. All projects except those with Facilities Study Agreements regardless of country of origin will be required to participate in the Call for Demand. Per Call for Demand document, up to the 400MW are available. You can view the project status visual [PDF, 97 KB].

27. What non power and financial factors strongly differentiate successful applications i.e. - job creation quality, Indigenous partnerships, regional development.

A range of project factors are being considered in the evaluation process. We would encourage you to refer to the slide deck and the Call for Demand document which includes further information on evaluation criteria and the weighting applied to criteria.

26. Both Bell Canada and Telus have publicly announced major data centre/AI projects under way here in BC that total well over 400 MW of capacity. Will those projects be treated separately from this programme?

BC Hydro does not comment on particular projects and their load requests.

25. How early should proponents assume firm power commitments can realistically be achieved after application approval and is this also region dependent where BC Hydro may have surplus capacity or planned infra upgrades? Does this materially affect odds of successful application?

Determining firm commitment to power is part of the interconnections process which starts after a project is deemed successful. Within that interconnection process, system and regional capacity is assessed. Preliminary system reinforcement costs will be incorporated into proponent project information as part of a feasibility study for those projects that are successful meeting the minimum criteria. This information will be reflected in the cost effectiveness criteria which can then be influenced by proponent's increasing price or curtailment to offset these costs.

24. Will final prices of successful bidders remain confidential after the award concludes?

Aggregate results may be published but individual bids will be kept private.

23. Does the affiliate to meet financial requirements need to be Canadian organization in case of a multinational?

No, an affiliate can be a multinational.

22. What is a good benchmark for what we should expect the transmission interconnection cost to be (per megawatt) for say, 50-125 MW?

Every project is unique and needs to be assessed individually for both estimated costs and timelines.

21. If existing applications qualify for over 400 MW of capacity how does that impact this process?

The upper limit is 145 M per project. Any applications that have not reached facilities study agreement along with all other applications will be considered within the "Up to 400 MW" allocation.

20. What about the aggregate number?

We cannot discuss projects that are in the interconnection queue and cannot discuss the volume allocation for the competitive process at this time. As outlined in the regulation, BC Hydro will determine how much of the "up to 400 MW" of electricity allocated to the current call based on an assessment of the supply and demand.

19. How much capacity is readily available at Ingledow?

Due to the constantly changing electrical system, the scope to provide requested capacity must be assessed on a project-by-project basis. Requests for information can be made.

18. Can you please explain the intention of the pricing requirement? Does the 10% increase minimum above rates essentially result in a higher-than-normal cost basis for power in this scenario?

This is a new process for BC Hydro and the intent is that customers bid into this competitive process. This includes projects that are captured by the process paying a percentage premium above the standard tariff rate – starting at the minimum requirement of 10%.

17. For the financial readiness section, do we need to show proof of funds for the full project CAPEX, or just the hydro costs?

No, you will need to satisfy the financial readiness components as stated in Schedule 3 of the Call for Demand document as well as information contained in the Project Information Application Form.

16. If successful, is there a commitment from BC Hydro to provide power or will it be based on available power or other factors?

If your project is successful in the Call for Demand you still need to proceed through the interconnections process. Proceeding through the interconnections process is normal practice to access and secure power from BC Hydro.

15. Can we get a copy of the presentation and recording?

We shared the presentation materials as well as a copy of the questions and answers after the session.

14. What is BC Hydro's definition of Digital Sovereignty?

Extensive information on definitions has been provided in the supporting documentation.

13. How will mixed use facilities be treated i.e. AI DC & Vertical Farm in the same physical facility?

Only the AI Data Centre will fall within the regulation. That means the applicant will need to determine the allocation between the data centres and vertical farm. The data centre amounts are subject to the Call for Demand (not the vertical farm).

12. Will you release a copy of this presentation afterwards upon request?

The presentation materials are posted, as well as a copy of the questions and answers after the session.

11. How much of the overall 400 MW is already potentially spoken for with projects that are already in the interconnection queue?

The maximum project size that can enter the process is 145 MW. None of the "Up to 400 MW" allocated to this Call is spoken for. Projects in the interconnection queue that have not reached Facilities Study Agreement will be required to participate in this Call for Demand.

10. Does this mean that if we buy an existing company (not a DC) that currently has 50 MW or higher capacity with BCH that we have to re-apply for re-use of the capacity as a Data Centre?

If the existing site with 50MW is not a data centre and you are considering purchasing it to be used as a data centre for a load of 10 MW or greater, it would be required to go through the Call for Demand. More information can be found on Table 1 of the Call for Demand.

9. Does higher curtailment/bid price improve chances of getting requests approved?

Yes, providing a greater bid price or a higher load curtailment offer, above the minimum requirement, will result in higher points for the BC Hydro cost effectiveness component of the evaluation.

8. Do any substations have power available now for under 10 MW that could be allocated to an AI Data Centre?

Due to the constantly changing electrical system, the scope to provide requested capacity must be assessed on a project-by-project basis. Requests for information can be made at the electrical connections page.

7. If a project applies for under 10 MW is there a streamlined path for connection?

Projects under 10 MW will follow the standard interconnection process.

6. Can the load curtailment be provided by other assets on the BC Hydro system or must the data centre reduce its load directly?

The intent of the curtailment requirement is for a load reduction of the data centre - monitoring of compliance with a curtailment directive must be tied to the data centre operations.

5. Is it an all or nothing? For example, if we apply for 50 MW will you allow us to get less, or we would fail completely.

We have to study the entire load (50 MW) so it either passes as is with the full 50 MW (if successful) or fails. At this point, we are not looking at lowering any load to fit within the "up to 300 or 100" MW. Example we cannot parse up the 50 MW to meet the allocation.

4. How do you see / define conventional vs. AI Data Centre? What if the end mix of types of data centres won't be known till later?

The Regulation sets out the definition of conventional vs AI Data Centres. Applicants will need to be able to declare the purpose of their data centre at the time of application.

3. What happens if projects are below 10 MW? Would it not fall into this process then?

Projects below 10 MW are not required to go through the Call for Demand Any incremental increase 10 MW or greater after the date of the regulation will be required to go through the call for demand.

2. Will there be another Call for Demand for Emerging Industries, and if so could we anticipate it would be an annual Call?

While we anticipate there may be a need for additional calls, we are focused on the current call which covers the next two years. You can learn more in the Regulations.

1. Is BC Hydro able to share the number and/or MW of Storage Data Centre or AI Data Centre projects already in the Interconnection Queue as of February 1, 2026?

Due to confidentiality reasons, BC Hydro is unable to provide the number or MW of Storage Data Centre or AI Data Centre projects already in the Interconnections Queue as of February 1, 2026. We do not have plans to share this information as part of this process.