Powell River Groups Oppose 30-Year Power Export Deal, Want Energy for Local Jobs

Residents and leaders in Powell River are pushing back against a plan to export local hydropower south of the border for the next three decades.

Powell River Energy Inc. (PREI), a subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable, operates two dams at Powell Lake and Lois Lake. The company has applied to the Canada Energy Regulator for approval to sell electricity exclusively to U.S. affiliate BR Pacific Hydro for 30 years.

For many in Powell River, the timing couldn’t be worse. Since the shutdown of the region’s paper mill in 2021, the community has been working to attract new businesses to the site and rebuild the local economy. Both the Tla’amin First Nation, which has reclaimed part of the mill lands at its historic village site of tiskʷat, and the City of Powell River say access to local power is essential for that vision.

“This plan breaks the agreement we signed in good faith,” said Tla’amin Hegus (Chief) John Hackett. “We expected the power from tiskʷat to support jobs and opportunities here. Instead, Brookfield wants to ship every megawatt south. Selling out Canada’s future is unimaginable.”

Powell River Mayor Ron Woznow agrees, saying potential investors are already interested in the redeveloped site. “Within a year there will be companies signed on the dotted line and a lot of that energy being used,” he said.

Opponents also point to environmental costs. Diverting water from four rivers, they argue, threatens salmon habitat, fisheries, cabins, and ecosystems—while the economic benefits leave with the power. “Families here live with the environmental costs, while the benefits are shipped away,” Hackett said.

The debate is further complicated by regulatory wrangling. In 2023, the B.C. Utilities Commission declared PREI a public utility, a ruling the company is challenging in court. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy says B.C. Hydro is exploring ways to keep the power in the province under “fair market access” rules.

Public comments on PREI’s export application remain open until October 9. For residents and local leaders, the fight is about more than electricity—it’s about ensuring Powell River’s future is powered at home, not sold abroad.