B.C.'s Largest Solar Farm Could Power 100,000 Homes by 2030

A solar power project proposed for the mountains outside Penticton could mark British Columbia's biggest leap yet toward renewable energy.

Alberta-based Ascetes Power is seeking approval to develop a massive 1,374-hectare solar facility northeast of Okanagan Falls. If built, the array would pump 380 megawatts of clean electricity into the BC Hydro grid starting around 2030.

To understand the scale, consider this: the SunMine facility once produced about half the province's entire solar capacity at just 1.05 megawatts. The new Penticton project would be more than 360 times larger.

Even the Highland Solar Project near Ashcroft, which hasn't started construction yet, would only generate 150 megawatts on 395 hectares. The Penticton facility would produce more than twice that power.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen is now reviewing Ascetes Power's application for an Investigative Use Licence. This license would allow the company to conduct environmental surveys, engineering studies, and geotechnical investigations over the next three years.

British Columbia recently celebrated another solar milestone when Solar North completed a 2-megawatt Indigenous-owned project at Haida Gwaii in December 2025. That project alone will displace 350,000 liters of diesel annually from the local microgrid.

The Ripple Effect

The timing couldn't be better for British Columbia's clean energy future. As the province works to meet climate goals and reduce fossil fuel dependence, large-scale solar projects like this one represent a turning point.

The 380 megawatts from the Penticton facility would match the output of a small modular nuclear reactor, but with zero emissions and no nuclear waste. That's enough clean power to light up tens of thousands of homes while keeping the air cleaner for everyone.

Indigenous communities are also leading the charge, proving that solar power works even in northern climates. The success of projects like Solar North shows that renewable energy can serve remote areas that once relied entirely on diesel generators.

Design and permitting work would happen over the next three years if the investigative license is approved. Construction could begin as early as 2030, bringing jobs and economic activity to the South Okanagan region during the building phase.

The project still needs BC Hydro approval, but the fact that a facility this ambitious is even on the table shows how far renewable energy has come in British Columbia. Just a few years ago, solar power barely registered on the provincial energy grid.

Now communities across B.C. are lighting the way toward a cleaner future, one sunny panel at a time.