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Virtual Open House
Your interest in your local utility means a great deal to us. As our valued customers, your trust and support drive our dedication to transparency. We're here to provide you with insights into our operations, future plans, and how they impact you and your electricity rates. Your questions and feedback are invaluable. Thank you for being part of the Nelson Hydro community.
The following was presented to the City Council on October 20, 2023. It is an excerpt of the 2023-2024 Accomplishments and Business Plan presentation located on our Hydro News page. All data is to the end of September 2023.
For more information on regulatory proceedings, energy savings with home retrofits, vegetation management, and solar generation please see their respective web pages. If you have other questions or concerns please contact us through email at hydro@nelson.ca or by calling 250-352-8240.
Grey boxes are areas outside the Nelson Hydro core team and fulfill core roles to deliver our services.
Hydro Generation & Imports
2023-2024 Generation Station Highlights
- Wooden ramp was condemned through a Dam Safety Review in 2023. In 2024 there will be a remove or replace decision required.
- Removed debris in the forebay to ensure an unobstructed flow of water to the generating units.
- Fabricated machine guards and railings to meet WSBC requirements.
- Performed vegetation management for rock face area by Generating Unit 5.
2023-2024 Lines & Substation Highlights
- The 2023 Test & Treat Program performed testing on 660 poles to ensure structural stability.
- From that program, 103 poles are scheduled for replacement before December 31, 2023.
- A new Power Line Technician (PLT) was added to the crew that enables participation in our own capital program instead of hiring contractors, retention of construction skillset on the team, and provides work-life balance for the on-call schedule.
- Received a large supply of bulk distribution transformers and poles to mitigate supply chain issues and ensure minimal customer impact during scheduled and unscheduled power outages.
- New hybrid electric boom bucket truck that reduces the need to have the trucking running to operate the bucket. This reduces exhaust toxins for staff during critical work.
2023 Customer Projects
- 440 standard inquiries and projects
- 1,050 BC One Call requests from customers for electric utility line locates
- 514 Victoria St. (46 residential)
- 611 Vernon St. (125 residential)
- 266 Baker St. (11 residential, 11 commercial)
- 902 11th Street (Institutional)
- 900 Lakeside Dr. (Multiphase, 125 units)
- Kootenay Lake Ferry electrification
2023-2024 Capital Projects
- Battery bank replacement at the Generating Station
- G3 and G4 exciter replacement at the Generating Station
- Mt. Nelson electric line replacement
- Mill Street substation upgrade
- North Shore capacity study
- Pressure vessel replacement
- Dam safety projects
- Distribution and transmission design standardization
- CYME and SCADA software upgrades
- Geographic Information System (GIS) implementation for Utility Networks
- 10-year equipment replacement planning and system improvement scoping
- Battery Energy Storage System project (pending grant funding)
2023 Operation & Maintenance Budget Highlights
Budget Category | 2023 Budget | 2023 Forecast | Forecast to Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
Revenue | $22,579,775 | $22,452,112 | 99% |
Power Purchases | $8,437,072 | $8,790,052 | 104% |
Operating Expenses | $7,120,795 | $7,198,633 | 101% |
Capital Expenditures | $6,122,745 | $5,137,507 | 84% |
2023-2024 Budget Comparison
2024 Operating Budget Highlights
- Continued focus on safety and reliability
- 6.74% FortisBC Rate increase
- Adjusted Power Purchase Forecast model to focus on demand average instead of maximum over 4-years.
- 4.21% increase in IBEW wages
- Inflationary increase of 5.62% for recurring expenses
2024 Operation & Maintenance Cost Distribution
2024 Capital Cost Distribution
2024 Proposed Rates Breakdown
Rural Rate Increase: 6.20% or $8.17/month for 1000kWh. The 6.20% increase for 2024 is broken out into the following costs.
Urban Rate Increase: 5.20% or $6.49/month for 1000kWh. The 5.20% increase for 2024 is broken out into the following costs.
Index of Reliability - Nelson Hydro vs Canadian Electric Association (CEA) Average
2023 Residential Rate Comparison
Source: British Columbia Municipal Electric Utilities Association (BCMEU)
2024 Rate Increase Impact
2023 Average Days to Complete Customer Requests
2023 Reliability Indicators - Distribution and Transmission
2023 Availability Factor - Generation
2015-2023 Outages by Cause
Canadian Electric Association Outage Cause Definitions
Adverse Environment Customer interruptions due to equipment being subjected to abnormal environment such as salt spray, industrial contamination, humidity, corrosion, vibration, fire or flooding. | Adverse Weather Customer interruptions resulting from rain, ice storms, snow, winds, extreme ambient temperatures, freezing fog, or frost and other extreme conditions. | Equipment Failure Customer interruptions resulting from equipment failures due to deterioration from age, incorrect maintenance, or imminent failures detected by maintenance. | Foreign Interference Customer interruptions beyond the control of the utility such as birds, animals, vehicles, dig-ins, vandalism, sabotage and foreign objects. | Human Element Customer interruptions due to the interface of the utility staff with the system such as incorrect records, incorrect use of equipment, incorrect construction or installation, incorrect protection settings, switching errors, commissioning errors, deliberate damage, or sabotage. |
Lightning Customer interruptions due to lightning striking the Distribution System, resulting in an insulation breakdown and/or flash-overs. | Loss of Supply Customer interruptions due to problems in the bulk electricity supply system such as under frequency, load shedding, transmission system transients, or system frequency excursions. | Scheduled Outage Customer interruptions due to the disconnection at a selected time for the purpose of construction or preventive maintenance. | Tree Contacts Customer interruptions caused by faults due to trees or tree limbs contacting energized circuits. | Unknown Customer interruptions with no apparent cause or reason could have contributed to the outage. Only to be used when all other reasons do not apply or the cause is legitimately unknown. |