BC Hydro’s new transmission rates: how it impacts your customers and you
January 2007 - BC Hydro’s new transmission Stepped Rate 1823, charges more than double the price per KWh for the last 10 per cent of energy consumed. This provides a significant price signal for transmission customers to reduce their energy consumption, and translates into exciting opportunities for Alliance members.
To assist transmission customers in taking advantage of this rate opportunity, the Industrial Power Smart group recently launched the Power Smart Partners Transmission program (PSP-T).
PSP-T provides transmission customers with access to funding that allows them to participate in programs such as Sustainable Energy Management, Industrial Energy Manager, Energy Studies and Audits, Monitoring, Targeting and Reporting, Compressed Air and Motor Management Planning. The funding under this program is more comprehensive than that which was previously available under the Partners program. As an example, current funding up to March 31st for Energy Studies and Audits includes:
- 75 per cent funding of energy study costs
- Reimbursement offer – if the customer implements measures of the energy study findings within one year of the study report completion, they will be reimbursed for the entire study amount (the remaining 25 per cent). For partial implementations, the customer must implement measures that exceed a minimum threshold.
There are 63 transmission customers representing more than 100 sites, spanning forestry, energy and resource companies, government agencies and educational institutions. The new transmission service rate structure for large industrial and commercial customers applies to those who take their power supply at voltages of 69 kilovolts and higher.
To find out more about the impact of Stepped Rates and funding available to customers under the Power Smart Partners Transmission program please contact Bill Atamanchuk at 604 453-6320.