Future Energy Consumption

Energy Futures: three agencies deal with future energy requirements and the supply in British Columbia: the Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources (MEMPR); the BC Hydro and Power Authority (BCHPA); and the BC Energy Council (BCEC). The MEMPR produces a comprehensive forecast every two years and the BCHPA predicts electricity requirements. The BCEC has the responsibility of preparing a provincial energy plan and reviewing the issue of long-term electricity exports and the associated generation and transmission facilities. The British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources’ issued a forecast in March 1991, which is summarized in the following table:

Total provincial consumption is projected to increase by approximately 32 percent by 2010. This makes previous statements, which suggest that energy requirements will more than double by 2030, unlikely. Part of the reason for a slower rate of growth is increasing emphasis on demand management in British Columbia. In November 1990, the provincial government introduced a new energy policy built around four major objectives – efficiency, cleanliness security, and support for economic development. Several new programs have been introduced, which include establishing efficiency levels for energy using equipment, commencing the Fuel Smart program to reduce consumption of oil products, and a set of proposed regulations to increase energy efficiency standards in new buildings. BC Hydro is actively pursuing its Power Smart program to encourage the efficient use of electricity and BC Gas is developing technology to encourage the use if compressed natural gas in automobiles and trucks.

The provincial government has also approved the in principal the BCEC’s recommendation to permit the long-term export of electricity generated by run-of-the-river Hydro dams (i.e., low dams without artificial storage reservoirs) or thermal plants using coal, natural gas, wood and municipal wastes, or geothermal energy sources. High dams with large reservoirs and high capacity transmission lines are not to be built solely for export purposes.