B.C. continues to rely on neighbours for electricity to offset drought impacts

Drought conditions are worsening in some parts of B.C. – meaning the province can’t generate enough hydro electricity to keep the lights on this summer.

B.C. will once again rely on its neighbours for additional power this summer as drought conditions persist.

According to BC Hydro, a significant drought between 2022 and 2024 continues to impact the province’s ability to produce hydroelectricity. Due to this, the province is importing energy from its neighbours to the south and east.

“In the market is a combination of Alberta and the United States,” said Chris O’Riley, the president and CEO of BC Hydro.

O’Riley says this year the province will need less than 2,000 gigawatt-hours, compared to previous figures of upwards of 13,000.

He told CTV News this year’s projected total a relatively modest amount, but the exact figure will depend on the rainfall over the coming months as the limited snow pack melts.

B.C. has bought power from and sold power to American partners for many years, but O’Riley believes there’s room to expand east-west.

“We would like to see greater trade. We would like to reorient that as part of our self-reliance as Canadians and have more trade interprovincially in many products, electricity included,” said O’Riley.

The added energy from outside B.C.’s borders is also said to have no financial impact on ratepayers. O’Riley says BC Hydro has set its rates for the next two years at an increase of 3.75 per cent.

O’Riley reiterated that customers should be confident that they will have the resources they need to meet their needs now and in the future.

B.C. Minister of Energy and Climate Change Adrian Dix told CTV News on Thursday that the province has spent half of the last 16 years as a net importer of energy and the other half as a net exporter.

Dix says the value of the exports far outweighs the imports.

“In the last five years, even though there’s been drought conditions in B.C., (the value of electricity exports) has been an average of $550 million a year for ratepayers and the people of B.C,” said Dix.

He went on to say that B.C. is looking to build more energy projects to become more independent.

The Site C dam in northeastern B.C. has been in the works for many years, and BC Hydro says it should be up and running at full capacity this summer, something O’Riley says is helping reduce the company’s need to import power.