The
BC Hydro and Power Authority is a
Canadian electric utility in the province of
British Columbia, generally known simply as
BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the City of
New Westminster, where the city runs its own electrical department and the
Kootenay region, where
FortisBC, a subsidiary of
Fortis Inc. directly provides electric service to 213,000 customers and supplies municipally owned utilities in the same area. As a provincial
Crown corporation, BC Hydro reports to the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, and is regulated by the
British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). It is mandated to provide "reliable power, at low cost, for generations."