Jeff Wolrige, Founder and President Anyox Hydroelectric Corporation was formed to bridge that gap.
Founded in 2000, the company is restoring historic hydro infrastructure near the former mining town of Anyox and positioning it as long-duration storage for the grid. It is advancing a portfolio of hydro storage projects that provide firm, dispatchable renewable electricity to BC Hydro. By holding water in reserve and generating as needed, these assets also compensate for fluctuations in wind generation and rising industrial demand. At its core, the strategy is not simply about generation but about capacity—firming and shaping intermittent renewable supply for a constrained grid.
“We are restoring historic hydro infrastructure to deliver shovel-ready, storage-backed renewable power that firms and shapes wind energy, supporting mining, LNG, and critical mineral development across northern British Columbia,” says Jeff Wolrige, founder and president.
A Historic Asset Reimagined Through Partnership
The anchor project is located near Anyox, once home to about 3,500 residents and one of the largest copper mining and smelting operations in the northern hemisphere. Its hydroelectric dam, once the largest in Canada, remained largely intact after the mine closed during the Great Depression.
Today, that infrastructure has become what Wolrige describes as a stranded but ready asset. Accessible mainly by boat or air, the site includes a deep-water port capable of handling turbines and heavy equipment, along with extensive surrounding landholdings. Over 25 years, Anyox Hydroelectric Corporation has secured water licenses, land leases, environmental approvals, and transmission planning rights, including an underwater cable connection designed to integrate future generation assets with British Columbia’s growing power grid.
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We are restoring historic hydro infrastructure to deliver shovel-ready, storage-backed renewable power that firms and shapes wind energy, supporting mining, LNG, and critical mineral development across northern British Columbia.
The company’s growth has also been closely tied to its partnership with the Nisga’a Nation. Formed in the same year the Nisga’a Treaty was ratified, the relationship began when Wolrige sought permission to redevelop infrastructure within Nisga’a territory. Early discussions with treaty leader Chief Joseph Gosnell evolved into a long-term partnership that now includes Boney Creek Development, representing the Nisga’a Village of Laxgalts’ap as an economic development partner
Nisga’a workers have helped build roads and project infrastructure, while the partnership also guides environmental stewardship efforts, including the protection and enhancement of Pacific salmon habitat under the framework of the Nisga’a Final Agreement.
Firming the Grid, Enabling Industry
Anyox controls nine project sites at various stages of licensing, including four legacy storage projects central to its long-term capacity strategy. As British Columbia adds more wind generation, the grid increasingly requires flexible assets that can stabilize supply. Hydroelectric storage meets that need by holding water in reserve and dispatching electricity on demand.
This capability is particularly important in the Golden Triangle, where mining companies face constrained grid access. Four major mining operators have already expressed interest in securing renewable electricity from the Anyox portfolio. Provincial authorities have also approved between $6 billion and $8 billion in new high-voltage transmission infrastructure extending toward the region to support mining operations and a major liquefied natural gas terminal located roughly 20 miles from Anyox.
The project supports broader regional development by expanding access to cleaner power, reducing reliance on higher-emission alternatives while enabling mines, LNG facilities, and other infrastructure projects to move forward. As an equity partnership, it is also expected to generate long-term employment, contracting opportunities, skills training, and sustainable revenue for the Nisga’a Nation.
In recognition of its leadership in advancing storage-backed renewable capacity in northern British Columbia, Anyox Hydroelectric Corporation has been named a Top Clean Renewable Hydroelectricity Solution Provider. With permitted assets, deep-water access, transmission planning, and a long-standing Indigenous partnership already in place, the company is positioned to deliver firm, flexible power to a rapidly electrifying economy while restoring a historic hydro system for the next phase of industrial growth.
