British Columbia exports over $1 billion in electricity annually to the U.S., and cutting those sales would hurt its budget and alienate trading partners like Washington and Oregon. The province also imported 25% of its power last year during droughts, making it dependent on two-way grid exchanges. Shutting down exports abruptly could trigger blackouts and trade retaliation across the integrated western grid.
Chapters
Ontario's threatening to shut power off to the US. So why is British Columbia hesitating? Here are 4 reasons why in 4 minutes. First, power sales to the US bring in a lot of money. Last year alone, BC made more than $1 billion exporting electricity. BC doesn't sell electricity whenever it feels like it. It sells when prices are high and buys when prices are low. It's like playing the stock market, but with hydroelectricity. Cutting off power sales wouldn't just hurt American customers, it would wipe out a massive source of revenue for BC putting pressure on taxpayers and future infrastructure projects. Shutting off the US would be like burning a winning lottery ticket in protest. It would make a statement, but it would hurt BC far more than it would hurt Trump. Second, BC is mostly self-sufficient when it comes to electricity thanks to its hydroelectric dams. But mostly isn't always. Last year, a drought and reduced snowpacks meant BC had to import 25% of its electricity from outside sources, including the US. This wasn't a one-time fluke. Climate change is making droughts and low water levels more frequent, meaning that BC can't afford to cut off a resource it sometimes relies on. If BC suddenly decided to stop selling power to the US, what happens when we need to buy power back? Those same American suppliers could turn around and say, "No thanks." The reality is BC depends on this back-and-forth exchange more than Ontario. Cutting off the US isn't just about stopping sales, it would also mean shutting off an emergency supply line., and when you're dealing with something as critical as electricity, BC has decided that is just not a risk worth taking. Third, Ontario's surcharge is designed to send a message to Trump, but here's the problem for BC: we sell most of our power to Washington, Oregon, and California. These states aren't allies of Trump's, they're his biggest political opponents. When California was facing devastating wildfires, Trump famously refused to send federal aid, partly because the state leans Democrat. David Eby, the Premier of BC, knows that if the province were to cut off power, it wouldn't be punishing Trump, it would be punishing his opponents. And in doing so, BC would alienate some of its closest trading partners, partners who actually share its values on climate change and clean energy and progressive policies. BC doesn't want to turn its back on its closest political allies just to send a message that might not ever even reach the White House. Fourth, electricity isn't like oil or lumber. You can't just stop the flow without consequences. BC and the western US share a highly integrated grid, meaning power is constantly moving back and forth depending on supply and demand. If BC suddenly stopped selling power, the result wouldn't just be higher prices. With the right conditions, like high demand, it could lead to blackouts across the West Coast. Washington State in particular relies heavily on BC power, and a sudden shutoff could leave homes, businesses, hospitals in the dark. There would then be retaliation at the state level, trade restrictions, new tariffs on BC goods, and it would never end. So what is BC doing then? A few things: strengthening ties with Alberta to build a reliable interprovincial energy network, expanding wind energy projects to cut dependence on US imports, and completing the Site C dam to boost power capacity. Uh, there's one more thing. Electricity isn't the only energy export BC needs to think about. Natural gas production is 10 times larger than BC's domestic consumption. Most of it goes to the US via pipelines. If Trump retaliates with tariffs or surcharges on BC natural gas, that impact could also be massive. Sure, BC is working on exporting liquefied natural gas overseas to diversify its markets, but that takes time, and it's not enough to replace lost US sales overnight. So the energy relationship between the US and the province of BC isn't just about electricity. It's an economic balancing act. A power outage makes for great political theater until the bill comes due, and BC isn't interested in starring in that disaster movie.
