Brookfield-linked company seeks 30-year licence to export Canadian hydro to U.S.
Powell River Energy Inc. wants to export up to 700,000 megawatt-hours of B.C. hydro annually to a U.S. affiliate until 2055, despite warnings that Canada will need far more power at home.
A company linked to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s former employer is seeking to lock Canadian hydroelectricity into a 30-year export deal with the United States, raising fresh questions about whether Ottawa is putting Canadian energy interests first.
Powell River Energy Inc. (PREI), a subsidiary of Brookfield Renewable, has applied for a licence to export up to 700,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually from two hydroelectric dams in British Columbia to its U.S. affiliate, BR Pacific Hydro Power, until 2055.
The proposal has attracted more than 2,500 public submissions—nearly all opposing it—with critics warning it could lock Canadian electricity into the U.S. market for decades while setting a precedent for private companies to prioritize foreign buyers over domestic demand.
