BC Hydro is warning West Coasters not to trust their clocks next week as time won’t be moving as it seems.
Following a planned, day-long power outage on April 2, from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Hydro crews will be replacing four end of life structures between the Port Alberni substation and Great Central Lake substation from Monday, April 3, to Thursday, April 6.
In order to do that work safely, the transmission line will be de-energized.
“During this period our West Coast customers (Tofino, Ucluelet, Ahousaht, Salmon Beach, Toquaht Bay and Port Albion) will be supplied with electricity directly from Ash River Generating Station,” Hydro spokesperson Karla Louwers told the Westerly News via email. “It is called islanding – isolating a particular station or group of customers from the rest of the grid. It happens from time to time and is one of the ways BC Hydro keeps the power on during planned work.”
She said that the normal Hydro grid operates at a “very stable” frequency of 60 Hertz, but Islanding kicks that stability out of whack and can push the frequency higher or lower.
“This variation does not damage electronics, but clocks will run slower if the system is operating below 60 Hertz, or faster if operating above 60 Hertz,” she said. “While crews are completing the work, customers can expect some minor inaccuracy in clocks plugged into electrical power outlets, a loss or gain of about 5 minutes a day until the transmission system is reconnected and integrated to the system on April 6.”
Hydro’s Ash River Generating Station is a 28 megawatt hydroelectric facility located near Great Central Lake and contributes about 6 per cent of Hydro’s hydroelectric generation on the Island.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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