Construction has begun on a massive electrical transmission line being built to span northern B.C. and power ambitious plans for expanded regional resource extraction.

B.C. Premier David Eby announced the project’s groundbreaking in Prince George on Thursday, Sept. 3.

“It’s a massive generational project, the kind of project that we hope that the next generation will look back and say, ‘I’m really glad that this was done,'” he said.

The B.C. government has estimated the first two stages of the North Coast Transmission Line will cost roughly $6 billion, plus more for the extension. The planned line stretches from Prince George to Terrace, with the third stage extending 355 kilometres northwest to Bob Quinn Lake.

The federal government has committed $3.5 billion for the project, with more promised for the eventual extension. The line will more than double transmission capacity from east to west, allowing hydropower from dams such as Site C (now the John Horgan Dam) to reach industrial sites in the “golden triangle” region.

Federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson joined Eby to mark the groundbreaking. He ticked off the minerals being extracted in the region and their importance to Canada.

“There is copper, there is nickel, there is zinc, and there are other critical mineral deposits that are increasingly essential to the global economy, whether it’s modern manufacturing, whether it’s defence applications,” he said. “Whether it’s for clean energy technology and transition, whether it’s for batteries and solar panels, the world needs these resources.”

He also talked about liquefied natural gas extraction and export, and the importance of that industry to government revenues.

“An industry that provides the necessary government revenue to pay for the child care, dental care, the health care, the roads, and the public safety that people in British Columbia and Canada expect from their governments,” he said.

Phase 1 of the project will extend from Prince George to Glenannan and is expected to be completed by 2030. Phase 2 is expected to reach Terrace by 2032. Phase 3 details have not yet been announced.