Minister ‘confident’ B.C. is adequately preparing for drought, energy needs

British Columbia’s energy minister is “confident” the province is “taking all the steps that need to be taken” to prepare for what could be another drought-stricken summer followed by more dry summers for years to come.

Josie Osborne made the comments in a Tuesday interview, as some continue to sound alarm bells about snowpack levels that are well below average for this time of year, and may not sufficiently replenish the water reservoirs tapped by BC Hydro.

“People, very rightly, are concerned,” Osborne told Global News.

“Throughout this drought in 2023, BC Hydro has been planning in real-time to be able to account for this, taking steps like being able to import large amounts of electricity so we can reserve water to be used for energy production during the winter.”

4:47 Record low snowpack levels raise summer drought concerns

According to the utility, the Williston Reservoir is currently sitting at 6617 metres — 1.5 metres below the monthly average. The Kinbasket Reservoir, or the Mica Dam, is at 729.7 metres — 2.7 metres off the average.

Both dams account for more than 45 per cent of the province’s generating capacity.

Osborne said it’s likely B.C. will import energy again in 2024, from places like California, which has an excess of cheap solar.

“We know that between now and the end of the decade, towards 2030, we’re going to need about 15 per cent more clean electricity than we have now,” she explained.

“That’s why it’s so important that BC Hydro is undertaking this competitive call for power. It’s the first that we expect in a series of calls for power, so that we’re adding new independent energy resources into the system in the coming decades.”

BC Hydro will put out its call for power to potential developers in April, with the goal of having projects up and running as early as the fall of 2028.

2:05 B.C. snowpack levels extremely low: data

British Columbia’s snowpack is averaging at 61 per cent of normal for this time of year, according to the BC River Forecast Centre. Hydrologist Jonathan Boyd said the levels are “incredibly low right across the board,” however they can “change really rapidly, especially on the upswing.”

“It doesn’t increase just gradually when it does increase,” he explained. “So far, unfortunately, there hasn’t been any provincewide big storm … having to look out maybe another 10 days into the future with the weather models, it really is surprising how little precipitation is forecast.”

By March 1, Boyd said he’s predicting an even lower average snowpack level than what was recorded at the start of this month.

2:04 Province commits to creating more hydro power

The province imported a record amount of power last year after 18 months of drought — the equivalent of about two Site C Dams. Last month, the advocacy group Energy Futures Initiative suggested B.C. could become an “at-risk” area for power generation as early as 2026.

A December report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation further suggests B.C. is will be at “elevated risk” in 2026, as forecast demand increases and natural gas-fired generation retires, while extreme weather causes above-normal demands during below-normal output periods. However, it found that “anticipated resources are sufficient to meet forecasted peak demand throughout this assessment period.”

2:05 BC Hydro sets new record for electricity demand

Last month, the province announced a $36-billion, 10-year hydro plan that features a 50-per-cent increase in the Crown corporation’s capital project investments.

As it stands, there are about 50 proposed hydrogen sector projects in B.C., ranging from large-scale production facilities to hydrogen-fuelling stations and heavy-duty trucking pilot projects. Osborne’s ministry has said B.C. currently accounts for 60 per cent of Canada’s research investment in hydrogen and fuel-cell development.

About 70 per cent of B.C.’s energy demand is met through fossil fuels, including gasoline, diesel and natural gas, according to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

— with files from The Canadian Press

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Feb. 14, 2024 to provide additional information from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation report.