Columbia Power + Fortis

FortisBC acts as the operations and maintenance manager for the Arrow Lakes Generating Station, the Brilliant Dam and Generating Station, the Brilliant Expansion Generating Station and the Waneta Expansion Generating Station. FortisBC also acts as the dispatch operator for the Brilliant Dam, Brilliant Expansion and Waneta Expansion facilities.

Columbia Power has long-term power purchase agreements in place with FortisBC for the Brilliant Dam  and the Brilliant Expansion. Surplus capacity from the Waneta Expansion is sold to FortisBC under a long-term capacity purchase agreement. The electricity from the Waneta Expansion is sold to BC Hydro under a long-term energy purchase agreement.

In 2010, Columbia Power and Columbia Basin Trust (the Trust) formed a partnership with Fortis Inc. to construct the Waneta Expansion Project. The agreement saw Fortis with a 51 per cent share of the project, Columbia Power with 32.5 per cent and the Trust with a 16.5 per cent share. Columbia Power acted as project manager on behalf of the partners during construction. The Waneta Expansion Generating Station came into service in 2015. In January 2019, Columbia Power and the Trust announced their intent to purchase Fortis Inc.’s 51 per cent interest in the facility to become 50/50 owners; the sale was concluded in April 2019.