Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Fact Sheet: B.C. ELECTRICITY RESOURCES

Electricity accounts for about 11 per cent of the total energy produced in B.C. About 85 per cent of that is generated from water. The balance is produced through thermal generation, mostly fuelled by natural gas.
BC Hydro is the largest electricity producer in the province. It accounts for 80 per cent of B.C.’s total capacity to generate electricity, mostly from dams on the Peace and Columbia rivers.
Other electricity producers in B.C. include Alcan, Teck Cominco, Columbia Power Corp., Island Cogen and Aquilla Networks Canada. In addition, about 40 other industrial self-generators and independent power producers operate in the province.
Electricity is a high-value commodity. While its value varies from year to year, in 2000, it was valued at $3.5 billion. Although it accounts for a small proportion of B.C.’s total energy production, in 2000, electricity represented 38 per cent of the total value of the province’s energy production.
Demand for electricity in B.C. is expected to increase by 1.7 per cent a year for the next 10 years. The need will be greatest in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island regions, which consume about 70 per cent of the province’s electricity.
BC Hydro expects to meet about a third of its future electricity needs through conservation.

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