Some data on IPPs in BC

There is a lot of talk about the impact of BC Hydro purchase agreements with independent power producers but people seem to think it is all from run of river projects, but that is not really the case all.   People also blame the Liberals for independent power production, but the reality is that more than half of the power purchased by BC Hydro comes from projects predating the BC Liberal government.

As of October 2013 BC Hydro has 82 active energy purchase agreements in place producing 15,317 GwH/yr.  The data comes from a list regularly provided by BC Hydro.

The six largest EPAs represent 8,474 GwH/yr of power, 55.3% of the IPP power BC Hydro purchases.  Only one of them is a run of the river hydro project.
Facility               Type            Location       GwH/yr
Alcan                  storage hydro   Kitimat        3,307
Island Generation      gas fired       Campbell River 2,300
McMahon Generating     gas fired       Taylor           840
Arrow Lakes Hydro      storage hydro   Slocan           767
East Toba and Montrose non storage hydro Powell River   715
NWE Willams Lake WW    wood waste cogen Williams Lake   545

By type
Type               Number  GwH/yr  % of total 
Large storage hydro   2    3,983    26.0%
Non storage hydro    46    3,624    23.7%
Gas fired             2    3,140    20.5%
Biomass              11    2,388    15.6%
Wind                  3    1,031     6.7%
Small storage hydro   8      789     5.2%
Other                 4      271     1.8%
Biogas                6       91     0.6%

Biomass tend to be wood waste cogeneration plants
Other is three energy recovery projects and one municipal solid waste project
Biogas comes from landfills

1/5th of the private power comes from fossil fuels and just over a quarter comes from traditional large storage hydro projects.   This means only 53.5% comes from what could be called green power.

By call
Call      Projects  GwH/yr  % of total
Before 1991  27     2,050    13.4%
1991-2001     6     3,225    21.1%
2001-2005    19     1,465     9.6%
2006-2008    24     6,013    39.3%
2009-now     16     2,557    16.7%

2006-2009 includes 3,307 GwH/yr from Alcan which is a renewal and not a new agreement.  BC Hydro has purchased power from Alcan since 1961.    If one considers Alcan pre Liberal power, only 6,728 GwH/yr is purchased from projects approved under the BC Liberals, or only 43.9% of the power purchased by BC Hydro from IPPs.