British Columbia Proposes Legislation to Prioritize Energy Access for Resource Projects

According to PANews, the energy department of British Columbia (BC) has introduced legislation aimed at prioritizing grid access for resource-related projects such as mining and natural gas. This move comes amid concerns that AI data centers could increase electricity costs. BC Hydro plans to initiate a two-year bidding process starting in early 2026, allocating 300 megawatts for AI and 100 megawatts for general data centers, while industrial electricity use for sectors like mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, forestry, and hydrogen energy will have no limits. The province has decided to permanently ban new cryptocurrency mining connections, a freeze that has been in place since 2022. Additionally, efforts are underway to expedite large project connections by exempting North Coast transmission lines from certification requirements. Changes to grid connection queue and guarantee rules are also being proposed, allowing multiple customers to provide financial assurance.