Electricity transmission timeline

Here is a brief timeline of events that have shaped the growth of electricity transmission from its origins in the late 1800s to the present:

Date Event
1890s
  • Originally in the 1800s, electricity is transmitted by direct current (DC).
  • Croatian physicist Nikola Tesla invents the alternating current (AC) generator. This invention, along with the development of transformers, allows electricity to be transmitted over longer distances.
  • Industry developers argue the merits of AC and DC transmission systems. When an AC system, proposed by George Westinghouse, is selected for a major new transmission system for the Buffalo, New York area, AC transmission systems quickly take precedence in the United States.
1891
  • The first long distance high voltage transmission line is developed in Germany. It carries electricity about 177 kilometres (110 miles) at 8 kilovolts.
1897
  • One of the earliest examples of long distance electricity transmission occurs from a power station on the Batiscan River 27 kilometres (16 miles) to Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The line operates at 11 kilovolts.
Early 1900s
  • The demand for copper wire stimulates Canadian mining of copper.
  • Mines and paper companies become major consumers and developers of electricity, spurring the growth of transmission systems.
  • As hydro developers begin to develop more remote sites and extend the length of transmission lines to supply power, Canada begins to develop world expertise in long-distance transmission.
1903
  • Shawinigan Water and Power Company signs contracts to supply power to manufacturers of aluminum and pulp and paper. It installs North America’s first long distance high voltage line (50 kilovolts) to carry electricity 136 km (84 miles) to Montreal.
1901
  • Electricity trade between Canada and the United States begins, with a transmission line built at Niagara Falls.
1907
  • The Canadian parliament passes the Electricity and Fluid Exportation Act to regulate the export of electricity and natural gas.
1910
  • The Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario completes the first 100 kilovolt transmission line to supply several municipalities in southwest Ontario.
1920s
  • Hydro sites close to urban areas are mostly developed, and potential hydro sites become increasingly remote.
1928
  • The first 220 kilovolt transmission line travels more than 440 kilometres (272 miles) from Paugan Falls, Quebec, to Toronto.
1957
  • The National Energy Board, which regulates electricity exports and export facilities, is established.
1959
  • Canadian government introduces a National Power Policy, to encourage the development of power resources, more interconnection of provincial transmission systems and the export of surplus power to the United States.
1963
  • B.C. Electric is Canada’s first utility to build a 360 kilovolt transmission line.
1965
  • Hydro-Québec installs the world’s first 735 kilovolt transmission line, transporting electricity 1,100 kilometres (682 miles) to market from northern Quebec.
  • A problem with a single line at Niagara’s Sir Adam Beck Station No. 2 causes a 12-hour blackout in Ontario and the northeast United States. This leads to the creation of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), an organization dedicated to the coordinated operation and planning of the North American power grid.
1976
  • Submarine cables are completed, joining Prince Edward Island to the North American power grid.
1987
  • Because of escalating electricity costs in the United States, Canada’s electricity exports to the United States reach a new peak of 45 terawatt-hours. This activity is worth $1.2 billion to the Canadian economy.
1989
  • A solar geomagnetic storm triggers a nine-hour blackout in Quebec.
1990s
  • Restructuring of the electricity industry in Ontario and Alberta begins.
1998
  • Ice storm hits Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and parts of the United States, destroying more than 1,000 high voltage towers. Close to 1.4 million people in Quebec and 150,000 in Ontario are left without electricity — in some places, up to several weeks. Weather experts call it the most destructive storm in Canadian history.
2003
  • A loss of transmission and generation facilities in Ohio on August 14 spreads across electrical interconnections to neighbouring states and Ontario, causing a massive power blackout that affects 50 million people. This event raises public concern over the reliability of interconnected electricity grids. The Canadian and U.S. governments establish a joint U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force to identify causes of the blackout and reduce the possibility of future outages.
  • The British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) begins operating as an independent company owned by the B.C. government. BCTC is responsible for operating, managing and planning BC Hydro’s transmission system.
2005
  • On April 14, the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board announces its decision to move forward with a major expansion to the transmission system in Alberta. The 500 kilovolt project will be the largest of its kind in the province in more than 20 years.