Quebec looks beyond hydroelectricity as last planned megaproject set to wrap
Global News
Hydro-Québec confirmed that it doesn't have other hydro projects on the horizon, saying they take at least a decade to plan and build and don't come cheap.
Quebec’s hydro dams have long provided its residents cheap electricity and bragging rights in the race to reduce global carbon emissions, with Premier François Legault suggesting the province could become the “green battery of North America.”
But as the premier signs lucrative export deals with states such as Massachusetts and New York, the province’s utility has acknowledged that the Romaine-4 hydroelectric project — scheduled to enter service next year — could be the last major dam project for the foreseeable future.
Francis Labbé, a spokesman for Hydro-Québec, confirmed that the utility doesn’t have other hydro projects on the horizon. He said such projects take at least a decade to plan and build, adding that they don’t come cheap — as Romaine’s $7.3-billion price tag attests.
In the meantime, prices for other kinds of renewable energy — such as wind power — have fallen, making them more attractive options.
“It may come to a point where we come to the conclusion that we need another hydroelectric project but right now, considering the delays, considering the cost, considering that we have other options, we will not go in this direction,” Labbé said in a recent interview.
Quebec started building the four-part Romaine project — described at the time as the biggest construction project in Canada — in 2009. The commissioning of Romaine-4, the last of the dams, was pushed back to 2022 from 2020 after a series of delays, including the pandemic and other health and safety concerns.
Labbé said the dam and reservoir are complete and work is underway on the power station. When it is commissioned next fall, it should supply about eight terawatt hours, enough to power about 450,000 homes.
While Labbé says the utility has enough power in reserve to serve the province and its export contracts until 2025 or 2026, it will be putting out a call for tenders for projects to provide 300 megawatts of wind power and 480 megawatts of renewables, which could include wind and solar.
Police say an 81-year-old woman is dead following a dog attack involving three dogs who attacked her inside her own residence, in Northern Ontario.
King was a prominent figure in the demonstration that rolled into the national capital in 2022, which saw protesters entrench themselves in downtown Ottawa for three weeks.
Dermo, which has been detected in Canada for the first time, has spread from oyster to oyster in New Brunswick.
The latest draft negotiating text released Friday pledged $250 billion by 2035, less than a quarter of what developing countries requested.
The officials say Ottawa will be chipping in $108.5 million over the next three years to Ontario’s existing Student Nutrition Program and First Nations Student Nutrition Program.
A mother who was struck by a vehicle, along with the father and three other children, has now died from her injuries in hospital just over a month after the collision.
Erin McQueen believes her tools were stolen on Nov.16 while her truck was parked in Kelowna near Ellis Street and Clement Avenue.
"I am fighting for my daughter." How one Regina family is looking to the community to help raise money for a potentially live saving trip to the United States.
Kingston hosts the 59th Vanier Cup, featuring Laval vs. Laurier, promising excitement, economic impact, and family-friendly events. Full details on the big game.
Saskatchewan has been battling an increase in overdoses for many years. But based on recent data, Saskatchewan’s response to drug toxicity may be working.
A council representing Montreal and the suburban municipalities will vote on whether to stop the practice in the six West Island suburbs that treat their water with fluoride.