BC Hydro is a commercial Crown corporation owned by the Province of British Columbia and reporting to the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. The third largest electric utility in Canada, BC Hydro provides reliable, low cost electricity to 1.8 million customers and serves 94 per cent of the population of British Columbia.

BC Hydro endeavours to provide energy solutions to its customers in an environmentally and socially responsible way by balancing British Columbians' energy needs with the concerns of the environment. Through the efficient and reliable supply of electricity, BC Hydro supports the development of British Columbia and has constructed a world-class integrated hydroelectric system. Due to this efficient, reliable system, British Columbians enjoy some of the lowest electricity rates in North America.

BC Hydro operates 30 hydroelectric facilities and three natural gas-fueled thermal power plants. About 80% of the province's electricity is produced by major hydroelectric generating stations on the Columbia and Peace rivers. BC Hydro generates between 43,000 and 54,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually, depending on prevailing water levels. Electricity is delivered to customers through a network of over 18,000 kilometres of transmission lines and 57,000 kilometres of distribution lines.

Electric Power Generation
Generation - Gigawatts		2009
	Hydro	55,872
	Other	6,334
Total Generation		62,206
Receipts from:
	Other provinces	299
	United States	11,286
Total Receipts		11,585
Deliveries to:
	Other provinces	1,281
	United States	6,668
Total Deliveries		7,950
Total Electricity Available		65,841
Source: Statistics Canada

The average household in BC Hydro’s service area uses about 11,000 kWh per year. A large industrial customer, such as a pulp mill, might use 400 GWh in a year, equal to the consumption of 40,000 households. A typical large office building of 20–25 storeys might consume 5 GWh in a year, equal to the consumption of 500 households. A large “big box” retail outlet might consume 3.5 GWh per year, or roughly the equivalent of 350 households.

Canadians expect that their increasing electricity needs will be met in an environmentally-friendly fashion. One of the key components in a prosperous economy is low-cost, reliable electricity that does not unduly burden the environment.

Measuring and documenting this performance is often a challenge. To meet it, the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), representing a majority of the country’s generation, transmission and distribution assets, has undertaken a number of initiatives. CEA’s Environmental Commitment and Responsibility Program, its work on climate change, mercury, and fisheries issues, and most recently its pilot studies on measuring environmental performance1, are all examples.