The question of laying electrical lines in Quebec arises almost every year at the time of the first snow, but how much would it really cost? All possible estimates suggest different amounts, but one thing is certain: this project could be worth tens of billions of dollars.
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“The dream of many Montrealers is to see the disappearance of the electrical wires that weave their web across their street. And above all, to remove the poles that support these wires”: This was what an article in a Quebec newspaper of June 26, 1988 said, a sign that this question is not new.
The Léger company asked Quebecers earlier this year: Do you agree or disagree with Hydro-Québec investing tens of billions to bury electrical lines? A majority (61%) said yes, while 26% of respondents disagreed and 13% had no idea.
Former Hydro-Québec president and CEO, now Bombardier president and CEO Éric Martel, estimated in 2019 that this project would cost $100 billion to bury all the lines. A number that Prime Minister François Legault also referred to in a press conference in Quebec a few months ago.
How do I pay for this project?
In order to plan for this effort, the idea of setting up an investment fund was also mentioned. Another question in the same survey Léger asked Quebecers: Would you be willing to pay 5% more on your electricity bill to get Hydro-Québec to invest in its grid?
In contrast to the previous question, 70% were against increasing their electricity bill and only 30% were in favor.
The problems with laying power lines are not only limited to cost, but also maintenance. Mr. Martel mentioned in 2019 that once buried, the wires age faster and therefore need to be repaired more frequently. In addition, failures are more difficult to detect when the lines run underground. Ultimately, this decision does not rest with Hydro-Québec, but with the cities and the government.
In fact, some cities have initiated this process of laying power lines and have already benefited from the benefits associated with this decision. The city of Lorraine was spared power outages during the ice storm that hit Quebec last April.
There have been three major power outages in Quebec in the last two years. One that affected 500,000 Hydro-Québec customers due to the derecho weather phenomenon on May 21, 2022. A snowstorm knocked out power to 640,000 users on December 23, 2022. Finally, on December 6, 2023, this ice episode had cut off electricity for 1,000,000 Quebecers.