Sunday, February 8, 2009

Data on BC Hydro power production

This is for each fiscal year:
  • Year....BC Hydro....Consumption....BC Hydro
  • ..........Production ........................Shortfall
  • 2008 52268 GW/h 57583 GW/h 5315 GW/h
  • 2007 45536 GW/h 56108 GW/h 10572 GW/h
  • 2006 47225 GW/h 55654 GW/h 8429 GW/h
  • 2005 42382 GW/h 54001 GW/h 11619 GW/h
  • 2004 44988 GW/h 53132 GW/h 8144 GW/h
  • 2003 48075 GW/h 51490 GW/h 3415 GW/h
  • 2002 43663 GW/h 50821 GW/h 7158 GW/h
  • 2001 49885 GW/h 51251 GW/h 1366 GW/h
  • 2000 51581 GW/h 49498 GW/h (2083) GW/h

So where are some of the BC Hydro production differences coming from? In fiscal 2008 there was more water available for production. Before 2003 the Burrard thermal plant produced up to 3974 GW/h per year, since then it has produced about 150 to 600 GW/h per year.

Since 2001, demand for power in BC has surpassed the ability for BC Hydro to produce the power. The last year in which BC Hydro produced enough hydro electrical power for BC needs was in 1998.

How has BC Hydro met the shortfall? In large part through long term private power contracts. In the late 1990s this was about 8000 GW/h per year. Now it is about 10 500 GW/h per year. The surplus has always been sold by BC Hydro.

In the late 1990s BC Hydro purchased about 2000 GW/h per year of IPP power. Now they buy about 7500 GW/h per year.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Not wanting to be a stickler, but how can there be a shortfall if BC Hydro sells surplus power?

I realize we buy "dirty" power from Alberta in the wee hours of the morning, but some factual references would make your argument stick. :)