Juan de Fuca Cable Project

The Juan de Fuca Cable Project is a proposed 550 MW, 150 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power cable connection running 19 miles (31 km) under the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Port Angeles, Washington, and Victoria, British Columbia. The project's final environmental impact statement (required by United States law) was completed in October 2007, and a presidential permit issued in June 2008.[1][2]

Juan de Fuca Cable Project
Map of Juan de Fuca Cable Project
Location
CountryCanada–United States
StateWashington
ProvinceBritish Columbia
FromVictoria, British Columbia 48°29′26″N 123°27′30″W
Passes throughStrait of Juan de Fuca
ToPort Angeles, Washington 48°06′10″N 123°25′00″W
Ownership information
OwnerSea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable LP
OperatorBC Hydro/Bonneville Power Administration
Construction information
Manufacturer of conductor/cableABB "HVDC Light"
Manufacturer of substationsABB
Expected2020?
Technical information
TypeBuried lines
Submarine cables
Type of currentHVDC
Total length22 mi (35 km)
Power rating550 MW
DC voltage150 kv
No. of poles0

Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable LP is proposing to install a high voltage direct current electric power transmission line between Vancouver Island in Canada and Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula in the United States. This 550-megawatt transmission line would cross the international border beneath the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and would be constructed using a combination of underground and submarine cables.[3]

A benefit of the interconnection is relieving congestion on the US–Canada interconnect. Under the Columbia River Treaty, in return for regulating the flow of the Columbia River in BC, the United States is obliged to return some of the additional electricity generated in Washington to BC.

Two converter stations would be built for connection to power grids in the United States and Canada. One would be at Port Angeles adjacent to an existing Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) substation.[4][5] One would be at the Pike Lake substation near Victoria.[6]

If built, it would be the third HVDC system in the Pacific Northwest, along with the Pacific DC Intertie and HVDC Vancouver Island. The system would enable a more stable renewable energy supply by allowing bidirectional exchange of power based on renewable sources such as wind, hydro and solar, for which both supply and demand vary across wide areas based on seasonal and other factors. British Columbia's wind power is considered an underdeveloped resource.[7][8][9]

As of late 2013, the project was waiting for completion of a $69 per megawatt hour power purchase agreement with BC Hydro, and would need recertification by Canadian energy regulators. At the same time, the provincial government was considering a plan from BC Hydro to supply energy at $83 per megawatt hour.[6][10]

See also

References
  1. BPA 2007.
  2. DOE 2008.
  3. BPA 2005.
  4. Ecology & Environment 2007.
  5. Converter station site & BPA substation (PDF) – via BPA
  6. Duffy, Andrew (2013-10-30). "Juan de Fuca power pitch resurfaces: Undersea cable project would connect Victoria, Port Angeles". Times Colonist. Victoria, BC. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
  7. Ollikainen, Rob (2011-09-13). "Cross-Strait power cable project still in works". Peninsula Daily News. Port Angeles, Washington. Retrieved 2015-08-16. Clallam County PUD and other medium-sized Washington utilities are required to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The cable would enable the PUD to use wind and solar power when it needs it and store it when it doesn't.
  8. Penner, Derrick; Sun, Vancouver (2014-08-09), "Wind blows favourably for independent power producers", Vancouver Sun, retrieved 2015-08-16, In B.C., the winds peak in winter; on the Columbia they blow strongest in the summer. Manson said that makes them naturally complementary as a stable source of renewable power. Underpinning that, Manson said, BC Hydro’s large storage dams for hydroelectricity offer a "perfect match" to back up wind farms when the wind isn’t blowing.
  9. Geyer & DuBuisson 2009, p. 75 "While the United States and Canada are experiencing a wind boom, British Columbia wind power appears to be dormant. From the perspective of "unlocking British Columbia's wind energy potential", Sea Breeze should be regarded as a genuine environmental leader. In a broader North American context, Sea Breeze is part of the growth phase of wind power."
  10. Hunter, Justine (2013-10-27). "BC Hydro to resubmit strategy plan to include clean energy". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2015-08-16.
Sources
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