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Quebec’s Energy Future - We need to talk about it

Quebecers must be part of the discussions about our energy transition

The context

The demand for renewable energy is constantly increasing. In Quebec, we need to make ecologically responsible choices to make better use of our limited hydroelectric resources. We need to make smart planning decisions around the development of various renewable energy sources.

  1. 54% of the energy consumed in Quebec in 2019 was still produced from fossil fuels. To decarbonize Quebec's buildings, vehicles and industries and transition this use of fossil fuels to electricity, we will need an additional one-half Hydro-Québec (in other words, at least 100 TWh) by 2050, according to government estimates.

  2. The current surplus of hydroelectricity will soon be gone and will therefore not be enough to ensure the transition of all sectors, nor Quebec's energy independence. We need to reflect on current and future consumption and what choices can be made to limit the use of resources.

  3. The Quebec government is looking to increase hydroelectric production in order to attract industry, but the future of our energy cannot be thought of solely in terms of economic development.

The issues

  1. Quebec does not have an energy strategy that will allow us to quickly move away from fossil fuels and meet our climate targets by 2050.

  2. Decisions regarding the future of energy are currently being made behind closed doors, by the new Committee on the Economy and Energy Transition, composed of a few ministers and the CEO of Hydro-Québec.

  3. Increasing electricity production, regardless of the type of energy (e.g. hydro, solar or wind), has socio-environmental impacts.

  4. Electrifying all areas of our economy by building new hydroelectric plants with dams cannot be the only solution. We must also rethink the way Quebecers consume energy.

It's time to redesign Quebec's energy future

 So here’s the question: will our hydroelectric power be used to drive the ecological transition or will it be a tool for economic growth? 

The opportunity

Now that the government has announced a public consultation on Quebec's energy future in the spring - to be led by the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon - we want to know how it will unfold, what it will cover and who it will involve.

We’re at a crossroads. As a society, Quebecers must collectively discuss how we want to use our precious renewable energy: what should it be used to produce, for what purpose, for whose benefit?

Demande de BAPE générique sur l’avenir énergétique du Québec

  • pdf  - 0.05 mb Demande de BAPE générique sur l’avenir énergétique du Québec

    See document

These questions are too important to be discussed behind closed doors. We must ensure that the priorities of Quebecers, Indigenous communities and other experts are taken into account.

It's time to redesign Quebec's energy future.

Help us call for a collective discussion on Quebec's energy future!

Take action!

  1. Sign the petition

Write to the Ministers

Remind them of the importance of mandating the BAPE for a real consultation on our energy future. Here is a pre-written tweet that will automatically appear on the pages of ministers Fitzgibbon and Charette

  1. Tweet

Share the petition

  1. We’re counting on you to encourage others to sign the petition.

    Ever since the Premier announced that the government will be holding a public consultation on Quebec's future energy, we haven't heard what form it will take nor who will be invited to participate. So we must call on the government to mandate the Bureau des audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE) to conduct a public consultation on the matter. Talk about it and share the petition!

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