Latest news with #Hydro-Québec
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
CAQ government invokes closure to fast track energy bill
By QUEBEC — Arguing it is acting in the interests of economic growth, the Coaliton Avenir Québec government has cut short the debate on legislation modernizing the energy sector, Bill 69. Shortly after 3 p.m. Friday, CAQ house leader Simon Jolin-Barrette informed the legislature the government would be invoking closure, forcing the bill into law. The decision means the summer recess of the National Assembly will be delayed a few more hours as MNAs debate into the night with a vote sometime early Saturday morning. It is the seventh time since taking power in 2018 the CAQ uses closure to fast track legislation and bypass the normal rules of procedure. The move immediately sparked an angry reaction from the opposition parties that oppose the bill and want it scrapped. But the government said the debate on the bill has lasted long enough. Tabled way back in June 2024 by former CAQ super minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, the legislation has been stalled for months. After Fitzgibbon's resignation in September 2024, the bill was eventually picked up by the new economy and energy minister, Christine Fréchette. 'After more than 150 hours of consultations and detailed study, the repeated obstruction by the opposition parties, only two-thirds of the clauses of the bill have been adopted,' Fréchette said Friday. 'If work continues at this pace, on the same date next year, the bill will still not have been adopted.' The bill makes sweeping changes to way Quebec's energy sector operates and power rates are set, and also introduces for the first time the concept of energy sobriety to curb consumption. The Legault government wants to double electricity production by 2025 and Bill 69 is part of the equation. It will permit Hydro-Québec to dispense with tendering rules in the awarding of certain contracts as well as enter into agreements with indigenous communities. The bill is supposed to allow the provincial energy utility to launch new wind-power projects as early as this summer. Hydro-Québec plans to spend $200 billion by 2035 on its expansion. Fréchette said the additional wind power alone will add 2,000 megawatts of power to the grid for power-hunger Quebec companies as well as creating 1,000 jobs in regions of Quebec that have been hard hit in the fallout over U.S. trade tariffs. Waiting for the opposition was no longer an option. Adopting Bill 69 now will enable Hydro-Québec to save $6 billion by implementing the new wind-power system earlier, she said. The bill will also permit private companies to sell their electricity to industries directly. For consumers, Bill 69 will ensure domestic electricity rate increases are capped at 3 per cent (a CAQ election promise) and abolish the base price for gas that might be pushing prices up at the pump. But the last minute addition of 52 amendments to the original legislation sparked an uproar with the three opposition parties, which accused the government of trying to steamroll them. Parti Québécois energy critic Pascal Paradis estimated the new amendments being rushed in will eventually cost consumers $1 billion in extra charges. He said the bill fundamentally weakens the power regulator agency, the Régie de énergie. 'Quebecers will have to shell out,' Paradis said. 'Bill 69 is basically a tool box to increase rates.' The business lobby also objected to the bill, saying Quebec companies and institutions will bear the costs of all the projects.
Cision Canada
2 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Net income and investments increased more than 25% in the first quarter of 2025 Français
MONTRÉAL, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Hydro-Québec reported net income of $2,056 million for the first quarter of 2025, up $480 million compared to the same period in 2024. This is mainly due to favourable weather conditions in all of its markets. In addition, Hydro-Québec continues to invest in the rollout of the Action Plan 2035. An amount of $1.4 billion was invested in the first three months of 2025, an increase of more than 25% compared to last year. These investments are aimed specifically at improving the quality of service offered to customers. "The solid financial performance in the first quarter of 2025 is mainly due to a colder winter than last year," said Maxime Aucoin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "In Québec, winter temperatures greatly contributed to an increase in sales, while on external markets, they allowed us to benefit from high export prices. To ensure the best possible use of our water resources, we continue to take a cautious approach to managing our energy reserves." Financial highlights for the first three months Hydro-Québec's plan: Milestones for early 2025 Positive progress in negotiations on an agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador Launch of the most ambitious energy efficiency pathway in Hydro-Québec's history Investments of $10 billion by 2035 Smart thermostats at $0 for residential customers Signing of several new agreements Partnership announced for wind power development in the Nutinamu-Chauvin area (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean) for a project of up to 1,000 MW of capacity by 2035 Collaborative agreement signed with Makivvik Corporation to promote economic development in Nunavik First electricity supply contracts signed for two wind power projects in Quaqtaq and Puvirnituq (with Tarquti Energy) Unveiling of a scalable approach to solar development Goal of developing 3,000 MW of solar power by 2035 First call for tenders for solar farms (300 MW) announced in Hydro-Québec's history For more information on Hydro-Québec's results for the first quarter of 2025, visit .
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Net income and investments increased more than 25% in the first quarter of 2025
MONTRÉAL, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Hydro-Québec reported net income of $2,056 million for the first quarter of 2025, up $480 million compared to the same period in 2024. This is mainly due to favourable weather conditions in all of its markets. In addition, Hydro-Québec continues to invest in the rollout of the Action Plan 2035. An amount of $1.4 billion was invested in the first three months of 2025, an increase of more than 25% compared to last year. These investments are aimed specifically at improving the quality of service offered to customers. "The solid financial performance in the first quarter of 2025 is mainly due to a colder winter than last year," said Maxime Aucoin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. "In Québec, winter temperatures greatly contributed to an increase in sales, while on external markets, they allowed us to benefit from high export prices. To ensure the best possible use of our water resources, we continue to take a cautious approach to managing our energy reserves." Financial highlights for the first three months Sharp rise in sales volume in Québec Winter 2024–2025 recorded temperatures three degrees Celsius lower than last year, leading to higher electricity use Strong growth in revenues on external markets Favourable weather conditions: Increase in market prices Average price obtained by Hydro-Québec: 16.2¢/kWh in 2025 compared to 10.6¢/kWh in 2024 Increase in electricity purchases Increased short-term purchases on the markets to meet Québec's ad hoc requirements due to cold winter temperatures Higher purchase prices for export activities Action Plan 2035: Sustained growth in investments and financing activities Increase of more than 25% in investments compared to 2024, and 60% compared to 2023 Investments of more than $1.4 billion in three months, mainly to ensure asset sustainment and quality service Financing activities that raised $1.7 billion in the first quarter Hydro-Québec's plan: Milestones for early 2025 Positive progress in negotiations on an agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador Launch of the most ambitious energy efficiency pathway in Hydro-Québec's history Investments of $10 billion by 2035 Smart thermostats at $0 for residential customers Signing of several new agreements Partnership announced for wind power development in the Nutinamu-Chauvin area (Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean) for a project of up to 1,000 MW of capacity by 2035 Collaborative agreement signed with Makivvik Corporation to promote economic development in Nunavik First electricity supply contracts signed for two wind power projects in Quaqtaq and Puvirnituq (with Tarquti Energy) Unveiling of a scalable approach to solar development Goal of developing 3,000 MW of solar power by 2035 First call for tenders for solar farms (300 MW) announced in Hydro-Québec's history For more information on Hydro-Québec's results for the first quarter of 2025, visit SOURCE Hydro-Québec View original content:
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Trent: Cracking the mystery of Montreal's self-destructing roads
Let's try to crack that great Montreal mystery: Why do we build self-destructing roads? When it comes to durability, all roads lead to Rome. While our roads barely last 50 years, some ancient paved Roman roads still survive. A metre thick, they were built on compacted soil in four layers: crushed rock, mortared crushed rock, concrete, and stone pavers. Two millennia later, in 1816, roads of compacted gravel called macadam were developed by John McAdam — not, however, the John Macadam whose name graces the rather more digestible macadamia nut. Macadam was far inferior to its Roman equivalent, without even a concrete layer because 'modern' concrete was first used for paving in 1865. By 1904, macadam had tar added to it as a binder and dubbed 'tarmac.' We call it asphalt. Roadbuilding techniques have essentially remained unchanged ever since, but stresses on roads have multiplied — think of the pounding of 50,000-kilogram loaded trucks compared to wagon-wheeled carts. For many Quebec roads, crushed and compacted gravel topped with asphalt is still common. The City of Montreal usually specifies 20 centimetres of concrete under the asphalt. Some highways and airport runways use up to 50 cm of concrete with no asphalt — giving a boost to strength and possibly longevity. Water is the great destroyer of building materials: it corrodes metals, rots wood and weakens concrete. The Romans understood the danger of water acting on their handiwork: They built watertight roads with a cambered surface for water run-off. In our climate, when water penetrates the rigid sponge that is concrete, it expands as it freezes, tearing apart the concrete after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Then there's potable water. For 'home delivery' of water, Romans used pipes made of lead — plumbum, whence the word 'plumber.' Don't mock the Romans for poisoning themselves: One-third of U.S. cities still have lead in their water service lines, as does Montreal. One more reason why our roadways need to get deconstructed. Along with water pipes, Montreal buries utilities such as gas, power and telecom trunk lines underneath concrete roads and sidewalks, requiring jackhammers or diamond-bladed saws to get at them whenever inaccessible via manholes. Any such cuts in the road surface by Énergir, Hydro-Québec and Bell Canada can ruin a road's watertightness, shortening its life. But how do other northern cities manage to have decent roads and we don't? Chronic underinvestment aside, the underlying cause is probably the sort of contractor building our roads. Even if we delude ourselves that the widespread corruption uncovered by the 2011-2015 Charbonneau commission of inquiry into the Montreal construction industry is now behind us, today's crumbling road infrastructure is a poisoned legacy, a product of 50 years of bid-rigging, dodgy engineering firms and complicit bureaucrats or politicians. When contractors cheat on price, they cheat on quality. We have to attract a new class of skilled road contractors and shift the obligation to perform onto them. One way is to have the contractor design, build and then maintain the road in good condition at their cost for (say) 30 years. Contractors would have an inescapable incentive to build well and durably. (If ever they go under, their performance bond kicks in.) While the design-build-maintain method falls under the general category of Public Private Partnerships (PPP), using it for street construction offers minimal snares. While not everyone would declare the PPP that created the MUHC Glen complex was an unalloyed success, using PPP for building streets is a far cry from building and maintaining a hospital. The cause and effect of pavement failures are relatively evident. Repeated contracts for self-destructing roads constitute a gift that keeps on giving. It's time to end this generosity.
Montreal Gazette
20-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
‘Huge milestone' achieved as Hydro-Québec CEO signs multiple deals in Nunavik
Nunavik's clean energy development is getting a boost as Hydro-Québec's CEO came to Kuujjuaq this week to sign multiple agreements with regional bodies. Hydro CEO Michael Sabia signed a collaboration agreement with Makivvik on Tuesday at its office. The aim is to strengthen their relationship and foster economic development in Nunavik. This agreement includes the creation of a monitoring committee, where an action plan will be drafted with Inuit realities in mind. The plan is to increase investment opportunities in energy projects, the decarbonization of northern villages and economic and social benefits for Inuit. Sabia also met with Tarquti Energy and its shareholders, Makivvik and its community partners, the co-operatives of Puvirnituq and Quaqtaq, and Tuvaaluk Landholding Corp. of Quaqtaq to conclude crucial power purchase agreements for Quaqtaq and Puvirnituq's wind turbine projects. Joe Lance, general manager of Tarquti, said these contracts have been in negotiations for nearly two years. 'It sets the table to advance to the next steps,' he said in an interview. The purchase agreements serve as a selling contract, where Tarquti and its partners will sell the energy production from its future wind turbine projects to Hydro-Québec. Hydro will then implement that energy into its electricity supply to the communities. 'It is a huge milestone,' Lance said. The next step is for those contracts to be sent to the Quebec Energy Board for approval. After that, Tarquti needs to acquire environmental permits. Lance said construction of the wind turbines in Quaqtaq is scheduled to begin in 2026, while the ones in Puvirnituq are planned to begin in 2027. The turbines will provide more than 60 per cent of the communities' electricity needs. Over 25 years, the initiatives are estimated to save 96 million litres of diesel fuel, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 253,000 tonnes of CO2.
