Establishing your business in British Columbia (B.C.) is easier when you work with our experts.
BC Hydro services more than 95% of the province's population, providing more than 30,500 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy each year to commercial and industrial businesses.
When considering siting options for your operation, your business can benefit from our close working relationships with municipalities in the province. We continuously work with local governments to identify industrial sites with available electric capacity ready for a new customer or end-use.
Our Electrification Plan includes support for new low-carbon industry to B.C., including hydrogen production, carbon capture, and synthetic fuel production.
We also offer a range of incentives to help businesses electrify or fuel switch all or part of their operations, with support for commercial and industrial buildings, industry, and transportation. We also provide expert advice to help customers find available sites that can be quickly connected to our integrated grid.
Find out more about getting established in B.C.
We help match existing industrial sites with available land, electrical infrastructure, and transmission or distribution capacity with businesses looking to establish or expand their operations in the province.
If your industrial site is listed on our registry, we can market it to our network of contacts, which may unlock new opportunities. Find out whether your property may also be eligible for funding from BC Hydro.
B.C. at a glance
B.C. has eight economic regions, 28 regional districts, and 161 municipalities.
Economic regions
B.C.'s eight economic regions are connected by robust transportation and communication networks, boasting an abundance of natural resources and a skilled workforce. Municipalities often collaborate at the regional level to share information as well as plan and deliver services, making it easy to establish your business in B.C.
Regional districts
B.C.'s 28 regional districts are federations of municipalities, electoral areas, and Treaty First Nations. These districts exist for the purpose of regional cooperation and equitable cost-sharing between urban and rural areas. Regional districts provide services such as emergency management, regional solid waste management, and governance for electoral areas.
Regional districts have the ability to regulate land use and development in electoral areas, similar municipalities, and play a key role in region-wide growth planning.
Learn more about B.C.'s Regional Districts.
Municipalities
Municipalities provide local services and governance. There are currently 161 in B.C., that range in population from 100 to over 630,000. They are governed by elected officials (mayor and council) who have full discretion to set policies, adopt bylaws, and establish strategic direction for their communities. Each provides services directly or indirectly through partnerships with the regional district, a private partner, or another government.
In most cases, they are also responsible for issuing business licenses and construction or development permits in their operating areas.
See the complete list of municipalities in B.C.
Municipal permitting and licensing
Each municipality or regional district manages permits and licenses differently. Requirements will vary based on the specific use of a property. Once your business finds a suitable property, be sure to familiarize yourself with local and regional property regulations.
You can also search our registry to find available sites. Each listing includes information about the relevant municipality or region to help businesses learn about permitting and licensing requirements.
