BC Hydro is reporting that the cold snap led to record-breaking electricity demand.
Extremely cold temperatures across BC drove peak hourly electricity demand—the hour customers use the most electricity—to a record high level on Friday night when it reached 11,300 megawatts.
Despite the record-breaking demand, BC did not require imports from the market and also had enough generating capacity to provide support to its neighbours in Alberta and the Pacific Northwest who were experiencing demand and system challenges.
This includes about 200 megawatts exported to Alberta following an electrical grid alert from the Alberta Electrical Systems Operator.
“Extreme weather events like drought and cold snaps are putting people and communities at increased risk,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
“Thanks to the resiliency of our energy system and exceptional planning by BC Hydro, we are able to meet the needs of British Columbians while also delivering clean, reliable hydro-electricity to our neighbours in Alberta when they needed it most.”
Electricity usage on Friday January 12th was over 30% higher than the previous Friday night, before an Arctic airflow arrived over BC and sent temperatures plummeting.
“BC 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 president and CEO Chris O’Riley in a Sunday news release.
See also:
- Greater Victoria could see heavy snow, freezing rain starting Tuesday
- Cold snap causes water pipes to burst across Vancouver Island over the weekend
With the cold snap expected to last a couple more days, BC Hydro anticipates demand will remain higher than average, but it will not reach record-breaking levels.
Over the weekend, many businesses and residential properties experience water pipe bursts after freezing over.
On Friday night, the Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke had to evacuate the premises at around 3:30 a.m. as its occupants were awoken by a blaring fire alarm.
A warming centre in Nanaimo also had to be cleared out due to a sprinkler pipe bursting, causing 25 vulnerable people to be evacuated from the building.
It appears Victoria is slated to see two more days of the inclement weather. On Sunday, Environment Canada warned a pacific low-pressure system is set to approach the coast from the west.
The moisture within this system is anticipated to combine with the prevailing Arctic air, resulting in a complex blend of rain, freezing rain, and snow on Tuesday evening into Wednesday.
Snowfall is projected to fall on Tuesday evening, with subsequent concerns for a prolonged episode of freezing rain or ice pellets on parts of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland overnight into Wednesday morning.
The wintry weather seems transient, as rain is anticipated to set in by Wednesday afternoon. However, the timing of this transition remains uncertain.
