Quebec’s Energy Future

Frequently asked questions

• Why was it important to take part in the consultation?

  Without consultation, the government's decisions may not consider the opinions of experts, Indigenous communities and civil society. The decisions that will be made on this complex issue will have repercussions on the daily lives of all Quebecers: on public health, on our budgets, our environment and our communities for decades to come. 

  For further information, you can check the Consultation sur l'encadrement et le développement des énergies propres au Québec  in French.

• Why do we need to involve all stakeholders in a discussion on our energy future?

  There are two competing visions regarding the future of energy in Quebec. On the one hand, many stakeholders in the environmental and social sectors feel that it is essential for the government to prioritize Quebec's decarbonization needs, before determining whether the province can afford to allocate significant energy resources to stimulating new industrial sectors. On the other hand, the government sees the potential for growth in electricity production in Quebec as an opportunity for economic and industrial development. In other words, adjusting energy production according to growth, as we have always done.

  According to various experts, the government's energy calculations simply don't make sense: despite a significant increase in energy capacity, we will be unable to meet both the needs of carbon neutrality by 2050 and still promote projects focused exclusively on "economic development." Source.

  History has shown that when Quebecers work together on energy issues, we are capable of great achievements. With the nationalization of Montreal Light, Heat and Power in 1944, the government of Adélard Godbout paved the way for Quebec's first energy revolution, which would later become a reality in 1962 with the "Maître chez nous" campaign of the Lesage government and René Lévesque, its Minister of Natural Resources. As a result of having extended the nationalization of electric power production to the entire province, Quebec was positioned environmentally for years to come.
  

• What are the issues around Quebec's energy consumption and production?

  • It is anticipated that Quebec will face electricity supply problems as early as 2026 due to significant growth in demand;
  • Canada is the world's 5th largest per capita energy consumer at 229 GJ/capita, and Quebec follows at 225 GJ/capita. Structural energy efficiency and sobriety measures therefore represent a significant potential for reducing overall consumption;
  • The development of additional energy capacity via new hydroelectric plants would have destructive impacts on biodiversity local communities, and Indigenous communities;
    
  • The development of new capacity will increase the average cost of producing our electricity:
  • The energy transition will largely involve Hydro-Québec, in which all Quebecers are shareholders;
• Doesn’t Hydro-Québec have a surplus of energy?

  The days of hydroelectricity surpluses in Quebec are over.

  There are two main reasons:

  1) The demand for electricity is increasing.

  From 2019 to 2029, Hydro-Québec expects consumption to grow by 20 terawatt hours (TWh), or 12%.

  2) Hydro-Québec has signed new export contracts

  Hydro-Québec has signed major export contracts in recent years with the states of New York and Massachusetts. Here again, these contracts represent nearly 20 TWh.

  For more information: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/no...
  

• Why not just build more power plants to increase our capacity and support economic development?

  The cost of new electricity will be higher than the cost of our heritage pool. While it currently costs about 3 cents per kilowatthour (kWh), new supplies, including the construction of new hydroelectric plants, could cost about 11 cents on average. 

  But large industrial players are offered preferential rates of around 5 cents per kWh. If we’re developing new power generation capacity to attract these new players, we will be selling our hydroelectricity at a loss.
  

• Why will Quebec's energy transition generate such a high demand for electricity?

  The Chair in Energy Sector Management at HEC Montréal estimated that in 2019, almost 54% of the energy consumed in Quebec was derived from fossil fuels.

  Quebec’s energy transition will cause a strong increase in demand, especially when it comes to transitioning essential sectors away from fossil fuels:
  

  • Transportation electrification

  • Converting building heating to electricity

  • Electrifying or decarbonizing industrial processes

  Hydro-Québec’s current capacity is around 200 terawatt hours (TWh). According to Hydro-Québec's 2022-2026 strategic plan, the province will need more than 100 additional TWh of energy to transition these sectors to net zero emissions by 2050.