Deep freeze pushes electricity demand to record-breaking levels, says BC Hydro

Temperatures plunged throughout the past week across the province, and British Columbians pushed electricity demand to a record high Friday night.

Electricity usage reached 11,300 megawatts that night, beating the previous record of 10,977 megawatts, which was set in December 2022.

The utility says the province did not need to import any power from the market, and was in fact able to export energy to neighbours in Alberta and the Pacific Northwest, as their grids were reaching critical usage levels.

“B.C. is fortunate to have an integrated, provincial hydroelectric system that allows BC Hydro to ramp up quickly when generation is needed and scale back when it is not,” said Chris O’Riley, president and CEO of BC Hydro. “Our teams carefully plan and prepare for cold weather events like this to ensure our generating facilities are running at full capacity so we can deliver clean electricity to our customers when they need it the most.”

The drought over the past year has impacted BC Hydro’s reservoirs, the corporation says, which are the sources of the province’s power generation.

“As a hydroelectric-based utility, the variability of water conditions and its impact on its reservoir levels is something that BC Hydro deals with every year,” it said in a news release. “BC Hydro has the tools to manage these conditions, including multi-year storage in its reservoirs, regional diversity in its generating facilities, contracts for power, and the ability to import and export power through the Western Interconnection – a network of high-voltage transmission lines that connects B.C. with other utilities in western North America.

Environment Canada says chilly temperatures are expected to slowly rise in Metro Vancouver, with the weather service lifting its arctic outflow warning Sunday morning.

Following a flurry of snow and ice that coated the city in dangerous conditions Thursday evening, the bitter cold that came with it is finally expected to let up.

Arctic outflow warnings were also lifted in surrounding regions, including Howe Sound, Abbotsford, Merritt and Chilliwack on Sunday.

BC Hydro says it was able to export 200 megawatts to Alberta Saturday after our neighbour to the east issued an emergency alert, its government saying rolling brownouts may be necessary to deal with their record demand. This strain was driven by extreme cold in that province, with temperatures as low as -50 C in some areas and windchill values reaching as low as -60 C.

Alberta Minister of Affordability and Utilities Nathan Neudorf said Saturday that in addition to receiving power from B.C., it also imports some from Saskatchewan and their neighbouring U.S states, Idaho and Montana, in situations such as the grid alert. However, because B.C., Saskatchewan, and Idaho are also experiencing extreme weather, it was impacting sharing capabilities and was a “contributing factor to tonight’s grid alert,” he said Saturday.

Albertans reacted to their alert swiftly, averting the brownout risk.

The utility says the freezing temperatures are expected to last a couple more days, meaning demand will remain at higher-than average-levels. Despite this, it says, usage is not expect to reach record-breaking levels.

Meanwhile, frigid temperatures continued to grip British Columbia and the Prairies on Sunday as high winds and wintry conditions made their way across Canada’s eastern provinces.

Environment Canada says arctic air will continue to generate wind chill temperatures of between –40 and –50 C in some parts of B.C., including Peace River and Prince George.

It says temperatures will moderate in Metro Vancouver later on Sunday, though parts of the Fraser Valley will continue to experience wind chill temperatures that feel like – 20 C through Monday.

With files from Pippa Norman, Alejandro Melgar, and The Canadian Press.