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December 31, 2010
Pop quiz: How much do you know about BC Hydro?
Posted by Rob Klovance
It's quite possible that most British Columbians know more about the Vancouver Canucks than they do about the province's biggest electrical utility. And while that's perfectly understandable, we were surprised at recent surveys that indicated many of our customers are unaware of some basic BC Hydro facts.
So, here's your chance to prove you really do have a handle on what we are and what we do, and/or to fill in a few gaps in understanding. It's a fun little quiz, with the answers at the end, and we hope you enjoy it.
The quiz:
1. What was the last major power generating station built in B.C., and when was it built?
a. Prince Rupert Coal, 2009
b. Boston Bar Nuclear, 1999
c. Revelstoke Dam, 1984
d. None of the above
2. BC Hydro generates what percentage of its power from hydroelectric facilities?
a. 24%
b. 54%
c. 84%
d. None of the above
3. What does BC Hydro do after a family of four, living in the Kamloops home they've lived in for two years, joins Team Power Smart then cuts its electricity consumption 13% over 12 months, saving $156 along the way?
a. Phones the family to suggest that they should consider spending those savings on an additional ENERGY STAR-rated device to their home, such as a large-screen TV or an air conditioning unit.
b. Sends a congratulatory note, signed by the CEO, thanking them for cutting their electricity use.
c. Sends a cheque for $75.
d. None of the above
4. The most significant investment in central Vancouver's electrical system in almost 30 years includes:
a. Digging a tunnel under False Creek.
b. Building an above-ground electrical substation at the corner of Pacific and Seymour streets.
c. Installing six wind turbines in Stanley Park, at the site of where a severe 2006 wind storm levelled hundreds of trees in the park.
d. None of the above.
5. BC Hydro's current President and CEO is:
a. Vikram Vij
b. Dave Cobb
c. Bob Elton
d. None of the above
6. One of the reasons supporters of plug-in electric vehicles consider B.C. to be one of North America's best potential markets for electric cars is:
a. British Columbians don't worry as much about the limited range of electric vehicles because they tend to have much shorter commutes to work than most workers in North America.
b. More people in B.C. can afford to buy a plug-in vehicle, which generally cost much more than internal combustion-powered vehicles.
c. Carbon (CO2) emissions from electricity generation in B.C. are significantly lower than in most regions in North America.
d. None of the above.
7. BC Hydro's share price, as of Dec. 1, 2010, was:
a. $2.50
b. $11
c. $32
d. None of the above
8. The BC Clean Energy Act directs BC Hydro to offset, by residential and business customers using power more wisely, which percentage of the estimated increase in B.C.'s electricity demand by 2020?
a. 10%
b. 50%
c. 66%
d. None of the above
9. Where do Vancouver's residential electricity rates rank – on a scale from lowest to highest rates – in a 2010 survey of rates in 11 cities across Canada and the U.S.?
a. 3rd
b. 5th
c. 10th
d. None of the above
10. Over the next three years, BC Hydro will spend how much to build new systems to meet growing demand and renew or replace aging facilities?
a. $50 million
b. $1.5 billion
c. $3.6 billion
d. None of the above
The answers:
1. (c) The completion of the Revelstoke Dam and Generating Station in 1984 marked the last in a series of large hydroelectric projects that included the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, which was completed in 1967. BC Hydro operates no coal-fired or nuclear power plants.
2. (d) None of the above. BC Hydro gets 90% of its power from B.C.'s rivers via hydroelectric generation.
3. (c) With an ambitious conservation goal directed by the BC Clean Energy Act, BC Hydro uses its Power Smart programs to promote the smart use of power, a program that includes a $75 reward for qualifying Team Power Smart members who cut their electricity use by 10% or more over a 12-month period.
4. (a) Starting this month, and lasting 9-10 months, BC Hydro will use a specialized drill to create a crossing beneath the bed of False Creek to connect the north and south sides of an underground transmission line. It's all part of the Vancouver City Central Transmission Project, designed to help meet growing demand for electricity – as much as 82% over the next 30 years – in the Mount Pleasant/South False Creek area of Vancouver.
5. (b) Dave Cobb, former executive vice-president and deputy CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), has been BC Hydro's President and CEO since May 11, 2010. Bob Elton was BC Hydro CEO from 2003 until 2009 and currently serves as a special advisor to the BC Hydro board. Vikram Vij is a renowned Vancouver restaurateur and a Team Power Smart Leader.
6. (c) Thanks to mainly hydroelectric generation, BC Hydro's electricity is more than 90% clean, which means very low carbon emissions are associated with electricity production in B.C. relative to most other jurisdictions in North America, particularly those who rely heavily on coal-fired generation. The environmental benefits of electric vehicles are enhanced considerably with the availability of generally clean electricity.
7. (d) None of the above. While a recent survey showed that some British Columbians believe BC Hydro is a private company – and that some believe they even have publicly-traded BC Hydro shares in their portfolios – BC Hydro is a Crown corporation, alongside the likes of the Insurance Corporation of B.C., BC Transit and BC Housing. BC Hydro reports to the BC Ministry of Energy.
8. (c) The BC Clean Energy Act of 2010 increased the conservation goal of BC Hydro from the former 50% to 66%. BC Hydro is directed to find ways to get customers to use power wisely to reduce by 66% – through conservation – the expected increase in electricity demand in BC by 2020.
9. (a) An April 2010 survey of residential electricity rates in 11 cities in North America showed that Vancouver has the third lowest residential rates of those cities. Only Montreal and Winnipeg had lower rates.
10. (d) BC Hydro is investing $6 billion over the next three years to build new systems to meet growing demand and renew or replace aging facilities.
Rob Klovance is managing editor of bchydro.com.
