(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) BC imports 2 Site C Dams worth of electricity for 2nd year in a row
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- British Columbia's CleanBC policies, aimed a greater electrification of the economy, are making the province increasingly vulnerable to growing trade tensions with the United States as new numbers show continued reliance on imported electricity.
“President Donald Trump's previous threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods and the possibility of a trade war underscores the vulnerability that comes with being dependent on electricity imports from the United States,” noted Barry Penner, Chair of Energy Futures Institute.“I shuddered when I recently heard talk of curtailing electricity sales to the USA, since it's British Columbia that has been relying on imported power from the USA – it's not the other way around.”
The latest figures show BC Hydro imported approximately 20% of its electricity requirements in 2024 (9,808 gigawatt hours net) for the second year in a row, following 2023 imports of 10,739 gigawatt hours net. According to the Fiscal 2024 Annual Report to BC Utilities Commission , the annual cost of imported electricity reached $1.4 billion.
“For two years, we've imported an amount of electricity roughly equivalent to the output of two Site C dams, mostly from south of the border where 60% of their electricity generation comes from natural gas or coal-fired power plants,” Penner commented.
Under the CleanBC policy, municipalities are encouraged to restrict the use of natural gas for heating in new residential and commercial buildings in favour of greater use of electric heat pumps. This change to the building code will become mandatory province-wide by 2030. The CleanBC policy has also resulted in provincial mandates requiring 26% electric vehicle (EV) sales by the 2026 model year, rising to 90% by the 2030 model year, and which are backed by a $20,000 penalty for every vehicle that does not comply.
“The cumulative impact of these policies is to drive up domestic electricity demand, leaving us more vulnerable due to BC's dependence on electricity imports,” said Penner.
The latest information on imports comes after a new report from the independent North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC) found BC Hydro to be at“elevated risk of supply shortfall during extreme conditions. Drought and extreme cold temperatures in winter can result in periods of insufficient operating reserves when neighboring areas are unable to provide excess energy.” According to NERC,“the risk of reserve shortages emerges after 2026, potentially resulting in unserved energy and load-loss events during extreme weather.” NERC pointed to another organization, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, whose“probabilistic analysis indicates that BC's need for imports is increasing during the assessment period.”
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Background:
Barry Penner, KC
Barry Penner served as BC's Minister of Environment, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Attorney General during his four terms as a MLA. Penner represented Chilliwack in the BC Legislature from 1996 to 2012. During this time, he also served as both President and Vice President for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) and chaired a number of Legislative Committees. As Minister of Environment, Penner introduced BC's first climate action plan which included North America's first revenue-neutral carbon tax.
Penner was named Chair for the Energy Futures Institute in December 2023.
Energy Futures Institute
The Energy Futures Institute is a Resource Works-led project bringing a fresh perspective to discussions surrounding the future of energy in British Columbia.
Energy Futures has been exploring some of the greatest challenges facing British Columbia's energy security, affordability and independence, working to answer the big questions on how we meet BC's growing energy demand while protecting our environment, not just today but for the coming decades and century ahead.
Resource Works
Resource Works is a public-interest advocacy and communications not-for-profit organization based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their mission is to reignite the promise of Canada's economic future by leading respectful, inclusive and fact-based dialogue on natural resource development.
Resource Works helps show how resources have "worked" for citizens in the past and how they can continue to do so in a new era defined by environmental responsibility and reconciliation. We communicate the importance of resource sectors to personal well-being and opportunity, demonstrating how responsible development creates jobs and incomes, both directly and indirectly, while maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
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