BC Hydro prepared for record breaking temps, usage

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — As B.C. swelters through the current heatwave, the provincial electricity supplier expects it will make it through even the hottest of temperatures, as BC Hydro prepares for record breaking usage on Sunday and Monday.

According to Hydro’s Mora Scott, as we watch some U.S. states struggle to keep the electricity on, we won’t be seeing similar blackouts on our side of the border.

“It’s not something we have to worry about here in B.C. Our clean hydro electric system has the power that we need to meet the demand. And our reservoir levels are looking really good for this summer, so we should be just fine,” she says.

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However, Scott says BC Hydro is paying close attention to Monday, as they expect demand to be at an all time high.

“That’s the date that we think the all time records will be broken for the summer, and it will be broken pretty significantly, so keeping a pretty close eye on that,” she says.

Scott says the last time peak-hourly demand was broken was August, 2020.

“[In August] peak-hourly demand reached about 7900 megawatts. On Monday, peak-hourly demand could reach up to 8300 megawatts … that would pretty much shatter the previous record by about 400 megawatts, which is pretty significant.”