Quebec will have to increase its electricity production capacity by 65% by 2050, the equivalent of 17 hydroelectric complexes similar to that of Romaine, in order to achieve carbon neutrality, we learned. The duty. Even if Hydro-Québec is banking on wind and solar power, it has not ruled out building new dams.
Worrying, this opening to new dam projects... Although no major project is in sight for the moment, the repercussions are still to be feared, especially with regard to projects to protect our waterways . It is imperative to temper the enthusiasm for increasing hydroelectricity production without taking into account the impacts on natural environments.
“The solution to meeting commitments to climate change certainly does not involve developing all the rivers and streams of Quebec”
Alain Saladzius, president of Fondation Rivières
A risky electricity export contract
The contract to export surplus electricity to New York City also appears interesting from an environmental point of view if it makes it possible to eliminate production from coal.
But won't this coal-fired generation be moved or simply resold elsewhere in the United States? What will be the final economic profit once the selling price is known, minus current sales on the short-term market? Indeed, it is unlikely that this contract will bring the expected $20 billion to Quebec, since we are already exporting this electricity on the free market. In addition, the low price of Quebec hydroelectricity is greatly influenced by that of the dam at Churchill Falls, which is purchased at 0.5 cents/kilowatt hour from Newfoundland and Labrador.
So will it be necessary to build new expensive dams in Quebec soon? Let us be wary of the mirage of building hydroelectric dams as the solution to climate change, since it is only a drop in the bucket among many others such as wind or solar energy. Any new production has its environmental consequences.
Photo credit: Marcus Ganahl
About the author
André Bélanger
Viviane was visiting Fondation Rivières as communications and mobilization manager.