With Quebec’s looming power shortages looming, some Americans are considering ditching their lucrative electricity contracts for fear Hydro will fail to meet its obligations.
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“A careful examination of the new reality of electricity production and demand in Quebec could provide Massachusetts with solid reasons to cancel the NECEC treaty in favor of clean energy sources with less environmental impact,” all newly elected Americans write to François Legault.
“Hydro-Quebec’s claims of vast electricity surplus and low-risk energy are proving false,” it said.
The letter was shared on Twitter by Radio-Canada correspondent Alexander Panetta.
The letter quotes Eric Martel, former CEO of Hydro-Quebec, as saying: “[N]We have a surplus. To export that, you need American lines. I don’t want to throw away ten terawatt hours of water every year and not monetize it.” To put that number in perspective, HQ claimed that as much electricity is wasted each year as Maine uses in a year.
They fear a power shortage
Hydro-Quebec’s claims now appear to be false. There have already been power shortages in Quebec. New information suggests the headquarters is facing a long period of power shortages.
- Listen to the interview with Gabriel Giguère, Policy Analyst at MEI on the microphone of mario dumont, Available on the podcast At QUB radio :
“Recent reports indicate that Quebec is going from years of energy surpluses to energy shortages,” the letter continues. Hydro-Quebec is running out of power and expects power surpluses to disappear by the end of 2026 (less than three years from now), affecting its ability to export power to New England.”
The letter, addressed to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, is signed by Senators Nicole Grohoski, Rick Bennett, and House Representatives Maggie O’Neil and Jennifer Poirier.
The same chorus of opponents
“It is no surprise that you are signing this letter. We asked to speak to them, but they were not interested,” explains Hydro-Quebec’s Maxence Huard-Lefebvre.
Hydro-Québec’s treaty is with Massachusetts, so these Maine elected officials couldn’t cancel the treaty, he says. “Since the beginning of this project, they have used tactics to express their opposition to the project. This latest trial follows the recent ruling in favor of Hydro-Québec. These are people who were against the project from the start and are desperate for ways to take action,” he said.
Recall that a court in Maine in late April cleared the final hurdle threatening Hydro-Québec’s export contract to Massachusetts by allowing construction of the power transmission line in Boston to resume.