A new BC Hydro report titled ‘Generational challenge: How B.C.’s generation system is adapting to extreme weather and unforeseen events’ found the past 12 months demonstrate how extreme weather in B.C. can impact BC Hydro’s reservoir levels.

BC Hydro reports October 2018 brought “an unexpected challenge – the catastrophic Enbridge pipeline explosion – which impacted wholesale market prices by creating an increased demand for electricity to replace gas-generating units that would have otherwise been able to run,” and required BC Hydro’s planners to secure a sufficient supply of electricity to meet the needs of British Columbians over the winter.

Following a dry summer, BC Hydro’s reservoirs were below normal, and by October, its two biggest reservoirs – Williston on the Peace River and Kinbasket on the Columbia River – reached record seasonal lows.

“Then the unexpected happened – the Enbridge pipeline explosion caused a high-level of gas supply uncertainty in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest with only 80% of normal capacity expected throughout the winter, impacting wholesale market prices for both natural gas and electricity. To ensure a consistent supply of affordable electricity for its customers, BC Hydro planners took steps to secure a sufficient supply of imports to meet evolving system needs over the winter season – particularly in the event of a cold, dry winter and continued gas supply challenges,” BY Hydro reported today (April 23).

“As it turned out, B.C. experienced a record-breaking cold February followed by the driest March on record in parts of B.C. This resulted in more electricity being used than forecasted, and less water remaining in BC Hydro’s reservoirs as demand for power remained high. In addition, independent power producers were down below projections due to the weather and unable to meet the increased demand. Steps taken by BC Hydro’s planners secured the power required to meet the demand without impacting rates,” the company pointed out in a media release.

Cold and dry weather delayed the onset of the spring freshet; however, inflows into the reservoirs have started to increase in April with warmer weather and will soon start filling the reservoirs.

While BC Hydro is predicting higher water flows resulting from climate change over the long term, unpredictable weather patterns are expected to continue in the years ahead.

BC Hydro said it is working to ensure its system performs safely across a wide range of conditions and extreme events by:

• Continuously working to improve the weather and inflow forecasting. For example, all coastal watersheds can now be forecasted down to the hour, which improves the forecast accuracy for extreme rainfall events.
• Expanding its hydro-climate monitoring technology. This includes custom-made solutions that have been designed in-house, as well as upgrading snow survey stations to automated, real-time snow and climate stations.
•  Investing in capital projects – like spillway gate replacements – that will increase resiliency of the system to climate change.

Lead image: A file photo of Kinbasket Reservoir by Columbia Basin Trust

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