Image Credit: City of Williams Lake

By James Peters

Williams Lake Power Plant

BC Hydro, Atlantic Power reach deal to keep Williams Lake plant in operation

Mar 7, 2025 | 12:05 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — A deal has been reached to keep Atlantic Power’s Northwest Energy plant operating in Williams Lake.

In recent months, local officials have raised an alarm about the future of the biomass energy producer, saying it needed to secure a new contract with BC Hydro or else it would be forced to close later this year.

The company has been looking to secure more cost-effective sources of wood-waste fibre but was limited in the terms of its BC Hydro contract, which expires in 2029.

In a news release issued Friday (March 7), BC Hydro says a resolution has been found.

Terms of the resolution were not included in the news release, though the province says it has been working with the company “over the past many months.”

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“Through this collaborative work, Atlantic Power has been provided with a number of recommendations for optimizing their operations such as for sourcing and managing cost-effective fuel,” states the release.

The Northwest Energy plant is Williams Lake’s single largest property taxpayer, contributing $1.7 million to the city’s coffers every year. It employs 30 people directly and about 140 indirectly.

Last month, the City of Williams Lake sent a delegation to Victoria to help secure a deal to keep the electricity producer in operation.