Hydro Quebec
| Hydro Quebec
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| legal form | State joint-stock company |
| founding | April 14, 1944 |
| Seat | Montreal , Quebec , Canada |
| management | Eric Martel (CEO) |
| Number of employees | 19,692 (2013) |
| sales | 13.638 billion CAD (2014) |
| Branch | Electricity supply |
| Website | www.hydroquebec.com |
Hydro-Québec ( French [ idʀo kebɛk ]) is a Canadian company in the electricity supply . The state-owned company , which is subordinate to the government of the province of Québec and is based in Montreal, is responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electrical energy in Québec. Some of the production is exported to the northeastern United States . With 61 hydropower plants , Hydro-Québec is the largest electricity producer in Canada and the world's largest producer of electrical energy from hydropower . In 2013 the installed capacity of the plants was 36,068 megawatts (MW); 19,692 employees generated sales of 12.881 billion Canadian dollars (CAD).
The company was formed in 1944 through the nationalization of Montreal Light, Heat and Power , which had a gas and electricity monopoly in the Montreal area. Hydro-Québec first expanded the installed capacity of the acquired power plants and began building new plants in the 1950s. In 1963 a further eleven private electricity companies went into state ownership, making Hydro-Québec by far the largest electricity supplier in the province. From 1966 to 2012, the Gentilly nuclear power plant was in operation, the only one in Québec. The expansion of the electricity supply from hydropower was concentrated in the sparsely populated north of the province, where numerous dams were built.
The large hydropower projects allowed the province of Québec to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels . In 2011 electricity was the main source of consumed primary energy and accounted for 39.7% of the energy balance . The company pays high dividends to its only shareholder, the provincial government, and guarantees stable and uniform electricity tariffs that are among the lowest in North America . In addition, Hydro-Québec contributed significantly to the economic development of the province. However, the massive expansion of hydropower also had negative effects on the environment in the north of the province, in particular the flooding of large areas of land with reservoirs. In the past, hydropower projects also met with fierce resistance from the indigenous peoples, who legally enforced extensive compensation and consideration.
history
Development of the electricity supply in Québec
The electricity age in Québec began in the fall of 1878. The engineer J. A. I. Craig had seen Yablotschkow candles for the first time at the World Exhibition in Paris and installed such devices at the Collège Notre-Dame in Montreal . On May 16, 1879, he organized a public performance on the Champ-de-Mars in front of thousands of spectators. Numerous small electricity and gas companies then vied for supremacy in the energy sector in various cities. The first hydropower plant went into operation in 1885 on the Montmorency Falls near the provincial capital Québec .
American and Anglo-Canadian investors soon began to dominate the market. In 1898 the Shawinigan Water and Power Company (SW&P) was founded, which built large power stations on the Rivière Saint-Maurice . The availability of cheap electricity prompted companies in the aluminum, paper and chemical industries to set up energy-intensive production facilities in previously underdeveloped regions such as Mauricie . In 1901 Montreal Light, Heat and Power (MLH & P) was founded, which rose to become the sole supplier of electricity and natural gas in the Montreal region by taking over smaller competitors in the following years . In terms of the electricity market for the entire province, SW&P and MLH & P almost formed a duopoly . Besides these two large companies, there were only a few independent providers. The aluminum group Alcan built several hydropower plants in the Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean region for its own large needs from the 1920s .
During the Great Depression of the early 1930s, there were increasing voices in Québec in favor of state intervention in the electricity industry . The criticism was mainly directed against the "Electricity Trust " with its high electricity prices and excessive profits, which were perceived as abusive. Inspired by the example of the province of Ontario , which had already nationalized a large part of the electricity industry at the beginning of the 20th century, various politicians urged a similar approach in Québec. Investigative commissions and newly created regulatory authorities remained largely ineffective. While the SW&P was cooperative in some areas, the MLH & P refused any cooperation. After his election as Prime Minister in 1939, the liberal Adélard Godbout was well-disposed towards the idea of a public utility company . He was outraged by the inefficient power grid, dominated by Anglo-Canadian economic interests, the lack of transparency and the secret agreements. He described the duopoly as a “fraudulent and malicious economic dictatorship”.
Nationalization in two steps
The making of Hydro-Québec
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In the fall of 1943, Godbout's government tabled two bills to take control of MLH&P. On April 14, 1944, the Legislative Assembly of Québec passed Law 17 (Loi 17) , creating the Commission hydroélectrique de Québec , commonly known as Hydro-Québec. The law granted the new state-owned company the right to a monopoly of electricity and gas distribution in the Montreal region. Article 22 ordered the company to supply its customers at the lowest possible rates consistent with sound management. Hydro-Québec was also awarded the contract to rehabilitate the outdated power grid and to promote the electrification of rural areas that the private companies had previously not or only poorly developed. One day later, the takeover of MLH & P and its subsidiaries took place, financed by the issue of a bond in the amount of 112,225,000 dollars. Hydro-Québec had 290,000 customers at the time and had a gas pipeline network and four power plants with an installed capacity of 616 MW.
The defeat of Godbout's Parti libéral du Québec in the elections in August 1944 by Maurice Duplessis's conservative Union nationale had no effect on nationalization, with the exception of the electrification of rural areas, which was transferred to the Office de l'électrification rurale . The new management realized that the company needed to rapidly increase its installed capacity over the next few years to meet growing demand. From 1948 to 1953, the Beauharnois power station was initially expanded. The next project involved the construction of two power plants on the Rivière Betsiamites in the Côte-Nord region , over 700 km from Montreal. The Bersimis-1 and Bersimis-2 plants were built between 1953 and 1959. They were widely considered to be the test of the company's technical ability and offered a foretaste of developments in northern Québec over the following decades. In April 1957 Hydro-Québec sold the gas pipeline network to Gaz Métro .
"Quiet Revolution"
The silent revolution (révolution tranquille) , which subjected Québec to a profound social and economic change, brought new momentum to the development of the company. After the victory of the Liberals under Jean Lesage in June 1960, the former television reporter René Lévesque took over the Ministry of State Construction and Resources. Lévesque approved the continuation of ongoing construction projects and worked with various senior officials to nationalize eleven private electricity companies that continued to control a significant part of Québec's electricity generation and distribution.
On February 12, 1962, Lévesque began a public campaign. In a speech to representatives of the electricity industry, he condemned the current situation in no uncertain terms and described it as an "implausible and costly mess". As a result, he appeared at numerous events across Québec to appease the population and to refute the arguments of the Shawinigan Water and Power Company , the main opponent of the planned nationalization. During a joint fishing trip on September 4th and 5th, Lévesque was able to convince his cabinet colleagues to go ahead with the project. In order to secure popular support, Lesage called early elections. The planned nationalization consequently dominated the election campaign. The liberals' election slogan, Maîtres chez nous (“gentlemen in their own house”), had a nationalistic undertone, as it was explicitly directed against the Anglo-Canadian business elite.
Lesage's government was confirmed by an enlarged majority on November 14, 1962 and Lévesque began implementing his project. On December 28, 1962, the government launched a hostile takeover offering to buy all of the shares in eleven companies at a price slightly above market value. In addition to the Shawinigan Water and Power Company, these were Quebec Power, Southern Canada Power, Saint-Maurice Power, Gatineau Power, the Compagnie de pouvoir du Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay Power, Northern Quebec Power, the Compagnie électrique de Mont-Laurier, the Compagnie électrique de Ferme-Neuve and La Sarre Power. A few weeks later, corporate management gave in, recommending that shareholders accept the $ 604 million offer. On May 1, 1963, Hydro-Québec also took over almost all of the electricity cooperatives and part of the community's own supply networks. The power stations of the aluminum groups Alcan and Alcoa and of Énergie MacLaren on the Rivière du Lièvre remained in private ownership .
Growth in the 1960s and 1970s
After the acquisition, Hydro-Québec faced several challenges at the same time. Firstly, with a reorganization, the newly added systems had to be integrated into the existing company structure, while at the same time French was established as the company's working language. Second, it was necessary to standardize the inconsistent power grids, for example increasing the grid frequency in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region from 25 to 60 Hz . Thirdly, the steadily rising demand for electricity made it necessary to expand the installed capacity.
Manic outardes
The construction of the Manic-Outardes project had been in full swing since 1959. Thousands of people were busy building seven hydropower plants in the hinterland of Baie-Comeau , including the 1314-meter-wide Daniel Johnson Dam . The then largest dam in the world was built in honor of Prime Minister Daniel Johnson sr. named, who died on September 26, 1968 shortly before the inauguration ceremony. The Manic-Outardes project comprised four power plants on the Rivière Manicouagan with an output of 3675 MW and three power plants on the Rivière aux Outardes with an output of 1842 MW. It was completed with the commissioning of the Outardes-2 power plant in 1978.
The new power plants were hundreds of kilometers away from the major metropolitan areas and presented the engineers with challenges that they had grappled with for years. The most economical transmission of the electricity produced to the consumers was required. The engineer Jean-Jacques Archambault suggested building lines with a voltage of 735 kilovolts (kV) - significantly higher than the 300 or 400 kV lines customary at the time. Despite initial concerns, Archambault persevered and convinced colleagues and key suppliers of the feasibility of his idea. The world's first 735 kV line from Manicouagan to Boucherville went into operation on November 29, 1965.
Churchill Falls
When Hydro-Québec took over Shawinigan Water and Power Company and some of its subsidiaries in 1963, it also acquired a 20 percent stake in a company that was planning to build a hydroelectric power station on Hamilton Falls in Labrador . The project was led by a consortium of British financial institutions and industrial companies, the British Newfoundland Development Corporation (BRINCO).
With the financing agreement signed on May 12, 1969, Hydro-Québec committed itself to acquire most of the production for a quarter of a cent per kilowatt hour (kWh) over a period of 65 years and to assume part of the interest rate risk and the debts of BRINCO. In return, the company received a 34.2% stake in the power plant's owner, Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation Limited . The Churchill Falls hydropower plant with a capacity of 5428 MW went into operation on December 6, 1971.
In the province of Newfoundland , the Liberal Prime Minister Joey Smallwood was replaced in 1972 by the Conservative Frank Moores . The new government did not agree to the terms of the treaty after the 1973 oil crisis . In June 1974 it acquired all of the shares in the Churchill Falls Company not held by Hydro-Québec for $ 160 million. At the same time it took over the water usage rights on the Churchill River . The Newfoundland government insisted on renegotiating the treaty, which Hydro-Québec repeatedly refused to do. After lengthy legal battles between the two neighboring provinces, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the treaty twice in 1984 and 1988.
The nuclear option
In the 1960s and early 1970s, the company was considering meeting the growing demand for electricity in the province of Québec by building nuclear power plants . In 1964, a partnership was signed with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to build two heavy water reactors of the CANDU type , which were to be built near Bécancour on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, across from Trois-Rivières . In February 1966 the provincial government granted the building permit for the first phase of the Gentilly nuclear power station.
The Gentilly-1 reactor with a gross output of 266 MW was commissioned in November 1970. Due to numerous technical problems, the actual electricity production only ran for 183 days in 1972. Eight years later, operations were finally stopped. After a ten-year construction period, the Gentilly-2 reactor (gross output 675 MW) went into commercial operation in October 1983. The second reactor turned out to be far more reliable, but only contributed a small part to the electricity production. In 2008 there were considerations to keep the reactor running until 2040 after modernization, but in October 2012 the decision was made to shut it down for good. The last day of operation was December 28, 2012.
"Project of the Century"
A year after his election victory in 1970, the new liberal Prime Minister Robert Bourassa launched the "Project of the Century" (projet du siècle) . He hoped that this would create 100,000 new jobs that he had promised in the election campaign. On April 30, 1971, at a party event, he announced the construction of a gigantic hydropower complex with an output of 10,000 MW in the Baie James region . After assessing three possible location options, Hydro-Québec and the provincial government decided to build three new power plants on La Grande Rivière .
To implement the project, Hydro-Québec founded the subsidiary Société d'énergie de la Baie James (SEBJ) in 1971 . In order to be able to build the planned power plants at all, the construction of the Route de la Baie James was necessary, a 620 km long road between Matagami and Radisson . It was completed in just 420 days, after which the heavy construction machinery could be transported to the designated locations. In addition to the technical and logistical challenges that such a large project in a harsh and remote area posed, the SEBJ was also faced with resistance from the indigenous people. The approximately 5000 Cree Indians living in the region feared serious consequences for their traditional way of life. They secured the support of Jean Chrétien , the Federal Minister for Indian Affairs, who financed their appeal in court. In November 1973, the Cree obtained an order from the Québec Supreme Court that resulted in a temporary freeze on construction. The Supreme Court of Canada overturned the order, but the provincial government had no choice but to negotiate with the indigenous people.
After nearly two years of negotiations, the governments of Québec and Canada, the SEBJ and the Grand Council of the Cree signed the Agreement of the Baie James and North Quebec on November 11, 1975 . The agreement, which was also signed by the Inuit and three years later by the Naskapi , guaranteed the affected indigenous people financial compensation, the recognition of land rights, the establishment of health and educational facilities and self-government in their settlements.
From 1977 to 1981, at the height of construction, between 14,000 and 18,000 workers were employed on the various construction sites of the Baie James project. The underground power plant La Grande-2 , which went into operation on October 27, 1979, is the world's most powerful of its kind with a nominal output of 5616 MW. The power plant, the dam and the associated reservoir were renamed on October 16, 1996 in honor of Robert Bourassa, two weeks after his death. With the commissioning of La Grande-3 (2417 MW) in 1982 and La Grande-4 (2779 MW) in 1984, the first phase of the project was completed. The second phase came about between 1987 and 1996 when five more power plants were connected: La Grande-1 (1436 MW), La Grande-2-A (2106 MW), Laforge-1 (878 MW), Laforge-2 (319 MW ) and Brisay (469 MW).
Development of the US electricity market
When Hydro-Québec expanded its hydropower, the top priority was initially to meet the growing domestic electricity demand. In 1964, the provincial government passed a law (Loi sur l'exportation de l'électricité) , according to which every concession for a hydropower plant in Québec must contain a clause prohibiting the export of electricity. The provincial government reserved the right to allow certain exceptions. The reciprocal electricity trade between Canada and the United States did not gain any significance until after the 1973 oil crisis . The Bourassa government planned to partially finance the Baie James hydropower project with electricity exports, although Hydro-Québec's electricity grid still had to be expanded accordingly. In 1978 a 765 kV line was put into operation between Châteauguay and Marcy near Utica , which enabled electricity to be transmitted between the Beauharnois power station and the New York Power Authority network. In 1982 the Châteauguay direct current back-up clutch was created , the largest system of its type in North America.
Problematic 1980s and 1990s
After two decades of sustained growth, the company faced increasing resistance in the 1980s and 1990s. The effects of the second oil crisis in 1979 and the severe recession that followed forced the adjustment of development strategies. The priority was no longer the rapid expansion of the installed capacity, but the focus on the needs of consumers. A new hydropower project and the construction of a transmission line, primarily intended for exporting electricity, met strong opposition from the Cree and environmental groups in Canada and the United States.
Connection of New England
For the export of electrical energy from the Baie James region to the New England states, Hydro-Québec planned a 1,480 km long high-voltage direct current transmission line (HVDC) with a voltage of 450 kV and a transport capacity of 2 GW. An overhead line crossing was planned for the crossing of the St. Lawrence River between Grondines and Lotbinière , but this met with little acceptance among the population. It was implemented as planned, but before it went into operation at the end of 1989, the provincial government of Hydro-Québec asked for it to be replaced as soon as possible with a four-kilometer cable tunnel under the river. The tunnel was ready for operation in November 1992, after which the overhead line crossing was dismantled.
Failure of the Grande Baleine project
In December 1985, Robert Bourassa resumed the post of Prime Minister after a hiatus of nine years. Shortly thereafter, he announced another major construction project in the Baie James area. The $ 12.6 billion Grande Baleine project included the construction of three new hydropower plants on the Grande rivière de la Baleine with a combined capacity of 3.160 GW. After the planned commissioning in 1998/99, they should produce 16.3 TWh (terawatt hours) of energy per year .
The project immediately sparked fierce resistance. As in 1973, the Cree rejected the project because of the impact it had on their way of life and the environment. They filed lawsuits against Hydro-Québec at the provincial and federal levels to prevent construction, as well as in several US states to prevent electricity exports there. The Cree got the federal government to conduct a lengthy environmental impact assessment and received support from US environmental organizations. Additionally, they launched a public relations campaign in the United States and Europe attacking the Grande Baleine project, Hydro-Québec and Québec in general. Since the campaign was carried out aggressively and only a few months after the Oka crisis and the failure of the Meech Lake Accord , this resulted in various environmental groups in Québec distancing themselves from the Cree. The environmentalist David Cliche compared the actions of individual US organizations with "ecological colonialism".
The project opponents achieved success in New York State when the New York Power Authority terminated a four-year-earlier contract with Hydro-Québec in the amount of five billion US dollars in March 1994 . Two months after the elections in September 1994, the new prime minister was Jacques Parizeau of the Parti Québécois , the suspension of the Grande-Baleine project known and explained that it was not for meeting the energy needs of Québec necessary. This step was de facto a moratorium on new large power plants.
Forces of nature
During this period of political and social conflict, Hydro-Québec was hit by three widespread disruptions to the transmission system, primarily caused by natural disasters . The incidents highlighted a crucial weak point in the network, the long distances between the power plants and the main sales areas in southern Québec.
On April 18, 1988 at 2:05 a.m., the power went out in all of Québec and in parts of New England and New Brunswick when an important substation between the Churchill Falls power station and Manicouagan failed in the Côte-Nord region due to a technical failure . The blackout , which lasted up to eight hours in some places, was caused by ice deposits on the systems of the Arnaud substation.
Less than eleven months later, on 13 March 1989 at 02:44, a violent caused solar flare a geomagnetic storm , causing severe fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic field caused. These tripped circuit breakers in the transmission network. The Baie James Power Plants shut down within 90 seconds and there was another grid-wide blackout that lasted nine hours. This mishap forced Hydro-Québec to take steps to reduce the risks of geomagnetic disturbance.
ice storm
Heavy freezing rain for six consecutive days between January 5 and 10, 1998 caused the largest blackout in Hydro-Québec history. The weight of the accumulated ice resulted in the collapse of over 600 km of high-voltage lines and more than 3000 km of medium and low-voltage lines in southern Québec. Around 1.4 million subscribers were cut off from the power supply for between several hours and five weeks.
The region of Montérégie east of Montreal was hardest hit , particularly the "black triangle" (triangle noir) between the cities of Saint-Hyacinthe , Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Granby , where ice deposits reached over 100 mm thick. Widespread power outages also occurred on the Île de Montréal and in the Outaouais region . Hydro-Québec immediately dispatched more than 10,000 employees to rebuild the damaged power grid with the support of the Canadian Army . At the height of the crisis on January 9th, a single power line supplied the Île de Montréal. The provincial government decided to temporarily cut off the electricity supply to downtown Montreal in order to maintain the trouble-free operation of the waterworks.
The entire power supply was restored on February 7, 1998, after 34 days. The ice storm caused damage of $ 725 million to Hydro-Québec. Over the next decade, over a billion dollars were invested to protect the power grid from similar events going forward. During the crisis, the provincial government had decided to close the gap in the 735 kV ring line around Montreal. Since this was done without the necessary environmental impact assessment, residents in the Estrie region filed a lawsuit demanding the annulment of the decree on the building decision. The Québec Supreme Court ruled the plaintiffs, and the National Assembly had to pass a special law. The mandatory public hearings were completed in July 2002, with construction a year later. In 2008, the Lévis de-icer went into operation, the first HVDC system that is not used for power transmission, but for de-icing overhead lines .
21st century
Suroît controversy
The de facto moratorium on new hydropower projects in northern Québec after the termination of the Grande Baleine project prompted management to use new forms of electricity generation in order to meet the increasing demand. In September 2001, Hydro-Québec announced its intent with natural gas -powered combined cycle to build with a capacity of 836 MW - the so-called Suroît project in Beauharnois southwest of Montreal. The company emphasized the urgent need to secure an additional power supply in order to defuse the consequences of possible low water levels in the reservoirs. Hydro-Québec also emphasized that the power plant was economical and could be built within two years.
The announcement was made at a bad time because the public after the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in terms of greenhouse gas was sensitized. The Suroît power plant would have emitted 2.25 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, increasing the province's emissions by almost three percent. An opinion poll in 2004 found that 67% of Quebecers were opposed to building the power plant. Even within Jean Charest's liberal provincial government , the project was controversial. Persistent opposition persuaded the government to abandon the project in November 2004.
Resumption of major projects
At the beginning of the 21st century, Hydro-Québec resumed building large hydropower plants. This required an agreement signed by Prime Minister Bernard Landry and Ted Moses, chairman of the Cree Grand Council, on February 7, 2002. The Paix des Braves ("Peace of the Warriors") specified some provisions of the 1975 agreement, guaranteed the Cree compensation of 4.5 billion dollars over a period of 50 years, and formed the basis for special regulations for wildlife and forest management and guaranteed Cree companies and construction workers a share of the economic benefits of future hydropower projects in their tribal areas. In return, the Cree accepted the resumption of the postponed construction projects in the Baie James area, taking into account some requirements to protect the natural and social environment.
In the following years, several larger plants were completed, including Sainte-Marguerite-3 (884 MW), Toulnustouc (526 MW), Eastmain-1 (507 MW) and Péribonka (405 MW). The construction of the Eastmain-1-A (768 MW) and Sarcelle (150 MW) power plants involved a partial diversion of the Rivière Rupert ; the work was completed in 2012. In May 2009, the construction of a hydropower plant complex with an output of 1550 MW began on the Rivière Romaine . The first system went into operation in December 2014, with three more to follow by 2020.
In March 2009, Prime Minister Charest announced the further development of the province's hydropower potential, primarily on the Rivière du Petit Mécatina . Other projects are being examined, including on the Rivière Magpie and in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region . There are also plans to expand the capacity of the Jean-Lesage (120 MW) and René-Lévesque (210 MW) power plants as well as an additional turbine in the Sainte-Marguerite-3 power plant (440 MW).
Failed expansion in New Brunswick
On October 29, 2009, Jean Charest and Shawn Graham , Prime Ministers of Québec and New Brunswick, signed a letter of intent. It planned to sell most of NB Power . Most of the power generation, transmission and distribution facilities of the state-owned energy company in the neighboring southeastern province were to be owned by a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec for $ 4.75 billion. The agreement contained provisions for a reduction in electricity tariffs for industrial customers to the level of Québec and a five-year price moratorium for household and business customers.
While business representatives and the media in New Brunswick initially supported the agreement with a majority, it met with fierce resistance from the population. Opinion polls showed strong rejection. After two months of conflict, the provincial governments signed a revised agreement on January 20, 2010. Only the power plants were to be sold to Hydro-Québec at a price of 3.4 billion dollars. However, the New Brunswick government would continue to control power transmission and distribution. NB Power, in turn, would sign a long-term supply contract with Hydro-Québec, also with a five-year price moratorium for household and business customers, but with smaller price reductions for industrial customers. Shawn Graham finally announced the collapse of the agreement on March 24, 2010, citing Hydro-Québec's concerns about unforeseen risks and costs in the areas of dam safety and water levels. Analysts saw it rather as an attempt by Graham to improve the poor poll results six months before the elections.
Organization and finance
Corporate structure
Like most North American utility companies, Hydro-Québec reorganized in the 1990s to accommodate the deregulation of the US electricity market. While the company remained vertically integrated , it created separate strategic business units responsible for power generation, transmission and distribution. In response to the publication of Regulation 888 by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission , the TransÉnergie responsible for power transmission was spun off in 1997 . In 2000, the restructuring was completed with the passage of Law 116 on the functional separation of the divisions of Hydro-Québec.
This functional separation and the introduction of the so-called “home tariff” (tarif patrimonial) are the result of a study by Merrill Lynch , which was commissioned by Lucien Bouchard's government. The study, published in January 2000, aimed to deregulate the electricity market in a way that was in line with continental trends while maintaining the "Quebec Social Pact" - meaning low, uniform and stable prices across the province, in particular in the household sector.
The new law obliges the subsidiary Hydro-Québec Production , which is responsible for power plant operation , to provide Hydro-Québec Distribution (responsible for distribution) with 165 TWh of energy per year as well as additional services - including 13.86 additional TWh to compensate for losses and a guaranteed nominal output of 34.342 GW - to be made available at a fixed price of 2.79 cents per kWh (the home tariff). Ordinance 1277–2001 of the provincial government specifies the quantities to be delivered for all 8760 hours of the year, which vary between 11.42 GW and 34.34 GW. Hydro-Québec Distribution has to secure the rest of the energy it needs - around 8.2 TWh in 2007 - by tendering long-term contracts for which all producers, including Hydro-Québec Production , or suppliers of certain types of production such as wind energy, natural gas and biomass can apply or small hydropower plants are tailored. For example, Hydro-Québec Distribution carried out two tenders for 1 GW and 2 GW from wind turbines in 2003 and 2005. The first deliveries were made in 2006 and the 23 wind farms under contract should all be in operation by December 2015.
regulation
The subsidiaries TransÉnergie and Hydro-Québec Distribution are controlled by the state regulatory authority Régie de l'énergie du Québec . Based on the costs, it sets the sales prices for electricity and natural gas as well as the high-voltage transmission tariffs. The authority has several additional powers. It approves utility budgets, investment and construction projects, terms and conditions, and long-term supply and purchase contracts for electricity. It also handles customer complaints and approves programs to increase energy efficiency and measures for the reliability and security of the electricity grid.
The subsidiary Hydro-Québec Production is not subject to the control of this authority . Nevertheless, it must submit detailed environmental impact assessments for all projects for the construction of new power plants and transmission lines. These examinations are followed by various public hearings conducted by the Bureau Audiences Publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE). The BAPE makes recommendations to the provincial government, which issues the necessary permits.
Financial result
| 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sales | 12,881 | 12,136 | 12,250 | 12,269 | 11,997 | 12,304 | 12,236 | 11,162 | 10,887 | 10,341 |
| net profit | 2,207 | 860 | 2,611 | 2,515 | 2,871 | 3,015 | 2,798 | 3,637 | 2,252 | 2,435 |
| Reported dividends | 2,207 | 645 | 1,958 | 1,886 | 2.168 | 2,252 | 2,095 | 2,342 | 1,126 | 1,350 |
| Total assets | 73.110 | 70.508 | 69,594 | 65,794 | 64,918 | 62,850 | 61.107 | 59,698 | 60,431 | 58,072 |
| Long-term liabilities | 44,477 | 43,524 | 42,050 | 38,660 | 37,943 | 36,415 | 34,534 | 34,427 | 33.007 | 33,401 |
| Equity | 19,394 | 18,982 | 18,834 | 18,566 | 18,419 | 18,250 | 17.206 | 15,264 | 17,376 | 16,220 |
During that ended on 31 December 2013 financial year achieved Hydro-Québec a net profit of 2.942 billion US dollars. The company had a return on investment of 14.6% in 2013 . The sales increased and amounted to 12.881 billion US dollars. The expense increased slightly to $ 7.510 billion, which can be explained by a reduction in short-term electricity purchases and the elimination of the capital tax at the provincial level.
Hydro-Québec has assets amounting to 73.31 billion US dollars, including fixed assets worth 59.077 billion US dollars. Long-term debt is $ 44.477 billion with a capitalization rate of 30.5% in 2011. Bonds are guaranteed by the provincial government of Québec. Long-term securities issued by Hydro-Québec are of Moody's with stable Aa2 by Fitch Ratings with a negative AA- and Standard & Poor's to A + rated. In 2013, Hydro-Québec paid a dividend of $ 2.207 billion to its sole shareholder , the provincial government. Between 2009 and 2013, dividends paid to the government totaled $ 8.867 billion.
Privatization debate
The Provincial Government of the Parti Québécois redefined the Mission Statement of Hydro-Québec in 1981 and changed the terms of the Social Pact of 1944. It issued 43,741,090 shares at $ 100 to itself. The amended statutes now said that Hydro-Québec pays out up to 75% of net profits as dividends. This change in law sparked a debate over whether Hydro-Québec should be wholly or partially privatized. The neoliberal think tank Institut économique de Montréal raised the issue repeatedly in the 2000s. She argued that the company could be better run by the private sector and that the proceeds from the sale could help reduce the national debt.
Mario Dumont , chairman of the Action démocratique du Québec , considered the possibility of a partial sale of Hydro-Québec during the 2008 election campaign. An opinion poll conducted in November 2008 found that a majority of respondents (53%) opposed Dumont's proposal to sell a 7.5% stake to Québec citizens and businesses, while 38% agreed. Asked about it on a talk show , former Prime Minister Jacques Parizeau said that Hydro-Québec is seen by Quebecers as a symbol of national success. Consequently, any attempt at privatization would meet with stiff resistance from the population. The liberal provincial government has indicated several times that Hydro-Québec is not for sale.
The economist Yvan Allaire of the Montrealer École des hautes études commerciales suggests that the government should raise electricity prices, as the higher dividends that result will eliminate the need for privatization. Opponents of privatization such as columnist Bertrand Tremblay of the daily Le Quotidien from Saguenay point out that privatization would signal a drift into the times when Québec's natural resources were being squandered to foreigners at ridiculous prices. For too long, according to Tremblay, Québec has been a kind of banana republic and has almost given away its forest and water resources. In return, foreign interests have led to the fact that the jobs associated with the development of resources have also been exported with the help of "native vultures".
Left-wing academics like Léo-Paul Lauzon and Gabriel Sainte-Marie of the Université du Québec à Montréal claim that privatization would come at the expense of households, which would have to pay significantly higher electricity prices. Privatization would also be a betrayal of the social pact between the people and the government, and the province would deprive itself of a select asset for minimal short-term gain.
Business activity
Power generation
On December 31, 2012, Hydro-Québec Production had 60 hydropower plants (twelve of them with a capacity of over 1 GW), 656 dams and 26 major reservoirs with a storage capacity of 175 TWh. These facilities are concentrated in 13 of the 430 catchment areas in the province of Québec. These include the Saint Lawrence River and the Outardes , Betsiamites , Ottawa , La Grande , Manicouagan, and Saint-Maurice Rivers . According to the 2013 annual report, more than 99% of the energy produced comes from hydropower. This share had increased by around 5% after the closure of the Tracy thermal power station (2011) and the Gentilly nuclear power station (2012). In 2013, Hydro-Québec's production costs were 1.98 cents per kWh. The installed capacity of all systems was 36,068 MW in 2013.
The company is also buying most of the production from the Churchill Falls power plant in Labrador (5428 MW) under a long-term contract with the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador that expires in 2041. In 2009, Hydro-Québec acquired Abitibi Bowater's 60 percent stake in the McCormick power plant near Baie-Comeau on the lower Manicouagan for $ 615 million .
| power plant | flow | Power (MW) |
|---|---|---|
| Robert-Bourassa (La Grande-2) | La Grande | 5,616 |
| La Grande-4 | La Grande | 2,779 |
| La Grande-3 | La Grande | 2,417 |
| La Grande-2-A | La Grande | 2,106 |
| Beauharnois | St. Lawrence River | 1,853 |
| Manic-5 | Manicouagan | 1,596 |
| La Grande-1 | La Grande | 1,436 |
| René-Lévesque | Manicouagan | 1,285 |
| Jean-Lesage | Manicouagan | 1,187 |
| Bersimis-1 | Betsiamites | 1,178 |
| Manic-5-PA | Manicouagan | 1,064 |
| Outardes-3 | Outardes | 1,026 |
In 2013, the electricity supplies sold by Hydro-Québec came mainly from hydropower (96.78%); the wind power share was 2.16%, while biogas, biomass and waste incineration together make up 0.75%. The share of atomic and thermal energy is negligible (0.19% and 0.12%, respectively). The emissions of carbon dioxide (1,130 tons / TWh), sulfur dioxide (4 tons / TWh) and nitrogen oxides (10 tons / TWh) are a small fraction of the average values of the industry in northeastern North America. These emissions were almost entirely due to imported electricity that was purchased in neighboring markets.
transmission
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Hydro-Québec's expertise in building and operating a high voltage power grid over long distances has long been recognized in the electrical industry. TransÉnergie , responsible for power transmission, operates the largest corresponding network in North America. It acts as the independent system operator and resilience coordinator of the Quebec Interconnection within the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (the supra-regional power grids in North America are characterized by several larger, mutually asynchronous interconnections, which are known as interconnections) and participates in the sub-organization Northeast Power Coordinating Council . TransÉnergie manages the flow of energy in the Quebec network and ensures non-discriminatory access for all those involved in wholesale .
The policy of non-discriminatory access allows, for example, a company like Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro , some of its share of energy from the power plant Churchill Falls on the open market of the US state of New York to sell, while the network of under payment of a transfer fee TransÉnergie to use . In addition, TransÉnergie's energy flow control agency is mandated to act as a resilience coordinator across Québec under a bilateral agreement between the Régie de l'énergie du Québec and the United States' Federal Energy Regulatory Commission .
The high-voltage network of TransÉnergie extends over a length of 33,885 km, of which 11,422 km with lines of 765 kV and 735 kV, which are designed as overhead lines with bundled conductors . There are also 527 substations . The power grid is connected to the power grids of neighboring Canadian provinces and the United States at 15 points. At the end of 2011, the maximum imported output was 10.85 GW (almost half of which came from the Churchill Falls power plant in Labrador) and the maximum exported output was 7,994 MW.
The TransÉnergie transmission network works asynchronously to the neighboring networks of the Eastern Interconnection. Although the Quebec electricity network uses the same nominal network frequency of 60 Hz as neighboring electricity networks, it can not be interconnected directly with neighboring networks due to different instantaneous frequencies and different phase positions . For the export and import of electricity, TransÉnergie therefore uses systems for high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) and direct current back-to-back couplings such as the Châteauguay direct current back-to-back link . This feature of the Quebec power grid meant that Hydro-Québec was not affected by the widespread power outage in Northeast America on August 14, 2003 - with the exception of five hydroelectric plants on the Ottawa River , which were then directly connected to the Ontario power grid.
distribution
Hydro-Québec Distribution is responsible for the fine distribution of electricity to most of the customers in Québec. It operates a 114,649 km network of medium-voltage and low-voltage lines . In almost all of Québec it acts as the sole distributor - with the exception of the nine municipal distribution networks in Alma , Amos , Baie-Comeau , Coaticook , Joliette , Magog , Saguenay , Sherbrooke and Westmount as well as the electricity cooperative in Saint-Jean-Baptiste .
Hydro-Québec Distribution meets their basic needs from the production volume made available by Hydro-Québec Production at the "home rate". Any additional demand is compensated for by long-term contracts that are concluded with private providers following public tenders. If required at short notice, purchases can be made in neighboring electricity markets. As a last resort, Hydro-Québec Production can step in at short notice in the event of unexpected consumption peaks. The various supply contracts must be submitted to the Régie de l'énergie du Québec for approval, which also sets the binding tariffs.
As of November 1, 2013, Hydro-Québec Distribution had signed a total of 58 long-term supply contracts for a total of 4,600 MW. These include 34 contracts with wind farms, 15 contracts with biomass heating plants and 5 contracts with small hydropower plants. The energy production guaranteed by these contracts was 14.5 TWh in 2014; it is expected to increase to 21.5 TWh between 2018 and 2021. Hydro-Québec Distribution is also responsible for energy production in remote areas that are not connected to the main power grid. She runs a small hydroelectric power plant at the Basse-Côte-Nord and 24 diesel - thermal power stations on the Magdalen Islands , in the northern Mauricie and in Nunavik .
Other activities
Power plant construction
The subsidiary Hydro-Québec Equipement acts as general contractor on major Hydro-Québec construction projects . This does not apply to construction work in the areas named in the Agreement between the Baie James and North Quebec . The subsidiary Société d'énergie de la Baie James is responsible there. After an interruption in the 1990s, Hydro-Québec resumed the construction of new power plants at the beginning of the 21st century in order to benefit from the favorable environment created by the liberalization of the North American electricity markets and also to respond to the increased demand in Québec to react. The strategic plan for 2009–2013 included investments of $ 10.4 billion to build new facilities and upgrade existing ones.
Research and Development
Hydro-Québec invests heavily in research and development . The company not only financially supports research at universities, but is also the only electricity supplier in North America with its own research facilities. The Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Québec (IREQ), founded in 1967, is located in Varennes . It operates with a budget of around $ 100 million annually and specializes in the areas of high voltage, mechanics, thermomechanics, network simulation and calibration. The research by scientists and engineers at the IREQ led, among other things, to extending the service life of dams, improving the performance of technical facilities, automating the operation of the power grid and increasing the transport capacity of high-voltage lines. Another research facility, the Laboratoire des technologies de l'énergie (LTE) in Shawinigan , opened in 1988. It adapts and develops new products, and it also supports industrial customers in improving their energy efficiency.
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Since the 1990s, the IREQ has also carried out research in the field of electric cars . Current projects include battery materials (including groundbreaking research on lithium-ion batteries and nano- titanates ), improved electric powertrains, and the impact of widespread use of electric cars on the power grid . The projects focus on technologies that increase range, improve cold weather performance and reduce recharge time.
Hydro-Québec has been criticized on several occasions for not having benefited sufficiently from some of its innovations. This includes, for example, a wheel hub motor that IREQ engineer and physicist Pierre Couture presented in 1994. The successor to Couture's hub motor is marketed by TM4 Electrodynamic Systems . This offshoot, founded in 1998, cooperated with the French companies Dassault and Heuliez in the development of the Cleanova electric car , of which a first prototype was built in 2006. In January 2009, Hydro-Québec announced that Indian automaker Tata Motors had selected its engine to equip a demonstration model of the Indica Vista that was being field tested in Norway . In cooperation with the city of Boucherville , local companies and the automobile manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors , Hydro-Québec tested fifty Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicles from December 2010 , especially for their suitability for winter. It was the largest pilot of its kind in Canada to date. Since spring 2012, Hydro-Québec has been operating the Circuit électrique , a network of public charging stations for electric vehicles, in cooperation with retailers, hotels and the transport company Agence métropolitaine de transport . Two years after the start of the partnership, almost 300 stations are in operation and the range is being expanded further.
International participations
In 1978 the company began to acquire holdings abroad. A new subsidiary called Hydro-Québec International was founded with the task of marketing the company's know-how - particularly in the areas of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity - in other countries. The company relied on the expertise of the parent company. In the following 25 years, Hydro-Québec was mainly active abroad with investments in electricity transmission networks and power plants: Transelec in Chile , Cross Sound Cable in the USA, Consorcio Transmantaro in Peru , Hidroelectrica Rio Lajas in Costa Rica , Murraylink in Australia and the power plant Fortuna in Panama .
For a short time, Hydro-Québec held a 17% stake in Senelec , Senegal's state-owned electricity company . In 1999 the Senegalese government decided to sell part of the company to a consortium led by Elyo, a subsidiary of the French Groupe Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux . After his election as president, Abdoulaye Wade resigned the contract the following year. Also in 1999, Hydro-Québec International acquired a 20% stake in Meiya Power Company in China for $ 383 million . Five years later it sold this stake again. Hydro-Québec representatives were indirectly involved in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam through advisory activities.
Between 2003 and 2006 Hydro-Québec withdrew gradually from the international market and sold all of its foreign holdings for a profit. The proceeds from these transactions went to the Fonds des générations , a fund set up by the provincial government to mitigate the effects of public debt on future generations.
environment
Hydro-Québec has been aware of the external effects of its economic activities on the environment since the early 1970s . The passing of the Quebec Act on environmental quality in 1972, the task of Champigny-project to build a pumped storage power station in the valley of the Jacques-Cartier River in 1973 and the negotiations that in 1975 the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement led, forced the Company to rethink its actions. In order to better address environmental concerns, Hydro-Québec formed an environmental protection committee in 1970 and an environmental management department in September 1973 . Their task is to study and measure the effects on the environment, to prepare environmental impact assessments, to develop measures to reduce the environmental impact and to carry out scientific studies in these areas in cooperation with research institutions.
Effects on the natural environment
The creation of new reservoirs increases the amount of mercury in rivers and stagnant waters, which in turn affects the food chain . It also temporarily increases the emissions of greenhouse gases from the reservoirs and contributes to the erosion of embankments.
The company commissioned a number of measuring stations to monitor the environmental impact of the hydropower projects. Since 1978 they have been providing a wide range of data on the northern environment. Numerous studies in the Baie James area have shown that in the first five to ten years after a reservoir is flooded, the mercury content in fish increases five to six times, but then gradually decreases to its original value. These results confirm similar studies in other parts of Canada, the United States, and Finland . It has also been found that it is possible to reduce human exposure to mercury, even if fish form a significant part of the diet. Without changing eating habits too much, exposure risks can be mitigated by simply avoiding certain species and fishing spots.
The transformation of a terrestrial to an aquatic environment brings about great changes and flooding has negative effects on non-migratory species. However, lost bank habitats are being replaced by new ones created on the exposed banks of rivers with reduced flow rates. The biodiversity of reservoir islands is comparable to that of natural islands in the area and wild animals use the zone where the water level drops. Since the reservoirs have a stabilizing effect on the habitats of migratory species such as caribou , their populations increased to such an extent that they have to be hunted more.
Social impact and sustainable development
Hydropower projects have a significant impact on the living conditions of the population in the affected regions. These include in particular the Innu on the Côte-Nord and the Cree and Inuit in the North-du-Québec region . Reservoirs create new barriers for boat trips, flood traditional hunting grounds, fishing grounds and trapping areas, force changes in eating habits due to the elevated mercury levels of some fish species, and destroy priceless historical artifacts.
The projects completed between 1972 and 1995 accelerated the already emerging trend towards sedentariness among the indigenous people. In addition to the reasons already mentioned, the operation of social and educational institutions by the community as agreed in the Agreement between the Baie James and North Quebec is responsible for this. A 2001 report commissioned by Hydro-Québec concluded that some indigenous communities, particularly the Cree, have become more and more similar to industrialized societies in southern Québec. Similar observations had been made after roads and hydropower plants were built near isolated communities in northern Canada and Scandinavia . The completion of the major projects in the 1990s was accompanied by growing social tensions and rising unemployment.
After the strong rejection of the Suroît project and its abandonment in November 2004, the new chairman Thierry Vandal reaffirmed Hydro-Québec's commitment to energy efficiency, hydropower and the development of alternative energies. Since then, the company has repeatedly emphasized that it sees profitability, environmental friendliness and acceptance by the affected communities as a prerequisite for any new hydropower project. Hydro-Québec has been involved in various sustainable development initiatives since the late 1980s , in the areas of economic development, social development and environmental protection. Since 2007, the company has been a participant in the Global Reporting Initiative , which uses a participatory process to develop guidelines for preparing sustainability reports. Hydro-Québec employs around 250 specialists in the field of environmental protection and has an ISO 14001 certification in environmental management .
Tariffs and customers
The market in Québec
| number of customers | Sales in Québec (GWh) | Sales in millions of CAD | Average Consumption / year (kWh) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012 | 2013 | 2012 | |
| Households and Agriculture | 3,821,012 | 3,777,196 | 65,983 | 61,956 | 4,825 | 4,452 | 17,268 | 16,403 |
| Commercial, institutional, small industry | 316,585 | 314,895 | 44,620 | 43,775 | 3,504 | 3,370 | 140.942 | 139.015 |
| Large-scale industry | 186 | 188 | 56,855 | 56,875 | 2,439 | 2,317 | 305.672.043 | 302.526.596 |
| Others | 4,207 | 3,988 | 5,815 | 5,795 | 317 | 303 | 1,382,220 | 1,453,109 |
| Total | 4,141,990 | 4,096,267 | 173.276 | 168.401 | 11,085 | 10,442 | - | - |
At the end of 2013, Hydro-Québec had 4,141,990 customers in three main categories: households and agriculture, commercial and institutional customers (including small industry) and large-scale industry. The “Other” category includes, in particular, public lighting and community-owned distribution networks. After public hearings, the Régie de l'énergie du Québec sets a dozen distribution tariffs annually. The tariff structure is based on the transmission costs; This includes depreciation on investment costs, provisions for maintenance, the growth in the number of customers and a profit margin .
The tariffs are the same throughout Québec, based on the type of customer and the amount consumed. After a period of price stability lasting several years between May 1, 1998 and January 1, 2004, the Régie de l'énergie du Québec granted eight tariff increases totaling 18.4% between 2004 and 2010, followed by minimal price reductions in 2011 and 2012 .
Private customers
The average consumption of household and agricultural customers is relatively high (17,268 kWh per year), as 68% of all households have electric heating . Hydro-Québec estimates that heating accounts for more than half of the energy consumption in households. This preference for electric heating makes the demand for electricity less predictable, but it also offers certain environmental benefits. Despite the very cold climate in winter, greenhouse gas emissions from households only accounted for 5.5% (4.65 megatons of CO 2 equivalents) of all emissions in Québec in 2006 . From 1990 to 2006, emissions from Quebec households decreased by 30%.
Household electricity consumption fluctuates from year to year and is closely related to the weather. Most of the peak demand in the Hydro-Québec network occurs in winter. The previous record was achieved on January 22nd, 2014 at 7:26 a.m., with peak demand of 39,240 MW.
Household and agricultural electricity tariffs include a daily subscription fee and two consumption-based pricing tiers. The electricity meters are read manually every two months. The company offers its household customers the option of paying their annual electricity bills in twelve installments. The estimates are based on the customer's previous consumption.
Industrial customers
For more than a century, Québec's industrial development has been stimulated by the abundance of hydropower resources. Energy is a significant part of the cost of the paper and aluminum industries, two industries with a long history in Québec. In 2012, industrial customers consumed 65.9 TWh, which corresponds to 32.8% of sales on the home market. Big industry benefits from lower tariffs because distribution costs are lower. In 2009, the largest industrial customers paid an average of 4.79 cents / kWh. The provincial government is using the low electricity prices to attract new companies and to consolidate existing jobs. Since 1974 the provincial government has reserved the right to allocate large high-performance contingents to certain companies on a case-by-case basis. From 1987 to 2006 the limit was 175 MW. In the government's energy strategy for 2006 to 2015, this value was reduced to 50 MW.
In 1987 Hydro-Québec and the provincial government entered into controversial agreements with aluminum groups Alcan and Alcoa . These risk-sharing agreements made the price of electricity dependent on a number of factors, including the world market price for aluminum and the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar. These agreements are gradually being replaced by fixed tariffs. On May 10, 2007, the provincial government signed an agreement with Alcan renewing the water rights concessions for the Saguenay and Péribonka rivers . In return, Alcan has committed to investing in the Québec facilities, preserving jobs and keeping the company's headquarters in Montreal. A similar agreement was reached with Alcoa on December 19, 2008. It is valid until 2040 and guarantees the energy supply of the aluminum plants in Baie-Comeau , Bécancour and Deschambault-Grondines . At the same time, production in Baie-Comeau can be increased by around a fifth to 548,000 tons per year.
Several economists, including Jean-Thomas Bernard and Gérard Bélanger of the Laval University , have questioned the government's strategy, arguing that sales to large industrial customers are expensive for the Quebec economy. In an article published in 2008, the researchers calculated that a job in a new aluminum plant or on an expansion project would cost between $ 255,357 and $ 729,653 annually, taking into account the excess energy revenue that could be generated in the export market. The Association of Industrial Electricity Consumers of Québec denies this argumentation and, with a view to the data for the years 2000 to 2006, points out that export prices will fall as quantities increase. According to association president Luc Boulanger, the high volatility of the electricity market and the physical limitations of the transmission infrastructure mean that the amount of electricity that can be exported becomes smaller at higher prices.
Export market
| 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exports (GWh) | 32.208 | 28,089 | 23,680 | 20,154 | 19,952 | 21,299 | 19,624 | 14,458 | 15,342 | 14,392 |
| Income (Mill. CAD) | 1,525 | 1,194 | 1,252 | 1,304 | 1,287 | 1.919 | 1,617 | 1,149 | 1,464 | 1,084 |
| Average Income (CAD / MWh) | 47.35 | 42.51 | 52.87 | 64.70 | 64.50 | 90.10 | 82.40 | 79.47 | 95.42 | 75.32 |
Hydro-Québec sells a portion of its surplus electricity to neighboring networks in Canada and the United States, through long-term contracts or transactions to the power exchanges of New England , the state of New York and the province of Ontario . Two specialized subsidiaries for the energy market, Marketing d'énergie HQ and HQ Energy Services (US) , conduct electricity trading on behalf of the company. In 2011, Hydro-Québec exported 26,763 TWh of electricity, generating revenues of $ 1.399 billion.
Spot markets
The company takes advantage of several advantages in its export activities in spot markets . First, fluctuations in fossil fuel prices have no impact on costs because hydropower does not require fuel . Second, Hydro-Québec can react extremely flexibly to fluctuating demand in terms of production, allowing it to sell electricity at higher prices during the day and regenerate the storage quantities at night when tariffs are lower. Third, the peaks in the Quebec power grid are reached in winter due to the electric heating, while in the neighboring grids the demand is higher in summer due to the use of air conditioning in warm temperatures.
Long term agreements
While most export sales are short-term transactions, Hydro-Québec has long-term agreements. In 1990 the company reached an agreement with a group of 13 utility companies in neighboring Vermont for the sale of 328 MW. In this US state, Hydro-Québec covers 28% of the electricity demand. On March 11, 2010, Green Mountain Power and Central Vermont Public Service, Vermont's two largest utility companies, signed a 26-year contract. By 2038, up to 225 MW of electricity are to be obtained from hydropower, with prices being designed in such a way that consumers are protected from sharp fluctuations in market prices. To safeguard this agreement, Governor Jim Douglas enacted a renewable energy law passed by the Vermont Parliament on June 4, 2010 . A second long-term agreement runs until 2019 with Cornwall Electric, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc. with 23,000 customers in Cornwall, Ontario.
The election of Barack Obama - who supports the promotion of renewable energies - as President of the United States in 2008 is seen as a positive influence on the development of Hydro-Québec. Despite the success of the previous strategy of short-term sales in neighboring power markets, the provincial government asked the company in February 2009 to develop a new strategic plan focusing on long-term agreements with US utilities. The new strategic plan was published in July 2009.
Influence on Québec society
National identity and popular culture
Since the beginning of the 21st century, researchers have been increasingly concerned with the influence of Hydro-Québec on the identity and culture of Québec. According to historian Stéphane Savard, the company is at the center of the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of contemporary Québec. It is more than an ordinary state-owned company, but an outstanding tool for promoting the symbolic representation of Francophone Québec. The geographer Caroline Desbiens explains that Hydro-Québec has succeeded in taming the nature of the north with the awakening national consciousness of the francophone Quebecers. Slogans such as “Nous sommes Hydro-Québécois” (“We are Hydro-Quebecers”) or “L'électricité est dans notre nature” (“Electricity is in our nature”) are representative of this. On the other hand, this initially neo - colonial approach has led to the indigenous people also becoming more aware of their own identity and having fought for the right to self-determination through political and legal channels. As an allusion to the term Hydro-Québécois and the sense of identity associated with the territory of Québec, Dominique Perron speaks of the development of "homo hydroquebecensis".
In particular, the construction of the Manic-5 power plant , which fell during the social and political upheavals of the Quiet Revolution , found its way into popular culture in Québec. At that time, Hydro-Québec became the symbol of the new Quebec nationalism and the new economic strategy of the provincial government.
The Belgian writer Henri Vernes was also inspired by the gigantic project. After visiting the construction site at the invitation of the provincial government and Hydro-Québec, he wrote the adventure novel Terreur à la Manicouagan in 1965 as part of the Bob Morane series . Another well -known visitor to the construction site was the Belgian comic author Hergé , who presented the Manic 5 visitor center with an original drawing of Tintin and the depiction of the dam in the typical ligne claire style. 1966 wrote Georges Dor with La Manic one of the most successful Quebec chanson at all. It is about a construction worker who writes a love letter to his wife on Manicouagan in the loneliness of the north. The film La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan (1965) and the television series Les bâtisseurs d'eau (1997) also deal with the construction of dams for Hydro-Québec .
At the end of the 1960s, Jacques About, a PR employee at Renault's Canadian subsidiary, received an inquiry as to whether the Renault Alpine A110 model would also be in demand in North America. When the manufacturer decided against the market launch despite a positive analysis, About founded its own company called Automobiles Manic in 1968 . The Manic GT sports car, which was developed on the basis of the Renault Alpine, was unsuccessful and production was discontinued in 1971. At the beginning of the 1980s, the professional soccer team Montreal Manic was active in the North American Soccer League . In March 2000, the Canadian Post issued a 46-cent postage stamp depicting a dam.
Social movements
Social movements and interest groups occasionally speak out in the media and in three major public forums: the parliamentary commissions of the National Assembly of Québec , the public hearings of the Bureauiences accented publiques sur l'environnement and the various hearings involving Hydro-Québec at the regulator Régie de l'énergie du Québec . The business community generally has a benevolent attitude towards Hydro-Québec. Industry associations advocate maintaining the low and stable price level and advocate increasing production. Representatives of small and medium-sized companies, on the other hand, demand fairer pricing for business and institutional customers.
The trade unions , especially the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), which is the most active in the construction industry , are largely positive about the expansion of hydropower, as this sector creates numerous jobs. The FTQ also advocated the continued operation of the Gentilly nuclear power plant . The environmental movement, in turn, has a complex relationship with Hydro-Québec. Certain groups behave almost completely neutrally and approve of the patronage of the state enterprise, others speak up specifically. Several organizations have been set up to stop the expansion of hydropower or to stop Gentilly from operating. According to the sociologists Bertrand Perron, Jean-Guy Vaillancourt and Claire Durand, this ambivalence of the Québec environmental movement can be explained by the company's “social democratic logic”, which results from its status as a state-owned company and from its symbolic power for the autonomy and development of Québec.
literature
- André Bolduc, Clarence Hogue, Daniel Larouche: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité . Libre Expression / Forces, Montreal 1989, ISBN 2-89111-388-8 .
- Yves Bélanger, Robert Comeau: Hydro-Québec. Autres temps, autres défis . Presses de l'Université du Québec, Sainte-Foy 1995, ISBN 2-7605-0809-9 .
- André Bolduc: You génie au pouvoir. Robert A. Boyd, à la gouverne d'Hydro-Québec aux années glorieuses . Libre Expression, Montreal 2000, ISBN 2-89111-829-4 .
- Robert Bourassa: L'énergie du Nord. La force du Quebec . Libre Expression, Montreal 1985, ISBN 2-89037-252-9 .
- Jean Louis Fleury: Les coureurs de lignes. L'histoire du transport de l'électricité in Québec . Stanké, Montreal 1999, ISBN 2-7604-0552-4 .
- Jean Louis Fleury: Les porteurs de lumières. L'histoire de la distribution de l'électricité au Québec . Éditions MultiMondes, Québec 2004, ISBN 2-89544-058-1 .
- Carol Jobin: Les enjeux économiques de la nationalization de l'électricité (1962–1963) . Editions coopératives Albert Saint-Martin, Montreal 1978.
- Roger Lacasse: Baie James, une épopée . Libre Expression, Montreal 1983, ISBN 2-89111-109-5 .
- Roger Lanoue, Taïeb Hafsi: Société d'État? Pourquoi pas? Concilier politique et performance. Les secrets de la réussite d'Hydro-Québec . Presses de l'Université du Québec, Québec 2010, ISBN 978-2-7605-2537-5 .
- Pierre Turgeon: La Radissonie. Le pays de la baie James . Libre Expression, Montreal 1992, ISBN 2-89111-502-3 .
- Société d'énergie de la Baie James (ed.): Le Complexe hydroélectrique de la Grande-Rivière. Realization of the première phase . Éditions de la Chenelière, Montreal 1987, ISBN 2-89310-010-4 .
- Peter Grubbe, Photos: Peter Christopher: Canada: In the beginning there was nothing "Hydro-Québec". In: Geo-Magazin. Hamburg 1979.1, pp. 32-58. Informative experience report from the beginning with a logistical masterpiece. "It is like in a state - a 'state' that is twice the size of Austria." ISSN 0342-8311
Current publications from Hydro-Québec
- Report annuel 2013 . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2014, ISBN 978-2-550-69722-0 (French, online (PDF) [accessed January 22, 2015] 2013 annual report, PDF, 9.2 MB).
- Plan stratégique 2009–2013. Efficacité énergétique, energies renouvelables et innovation technologique . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2009, ISBN 978-2-550-56309-9 (French, online (PDF) [accessed March 1, 2012] Strategic Plan 2009–2013, PDF, 4.82 MB).
- Profile financier 2011–2012 . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2012, ISBN 978-2-550-63881-0 (French, online (PDF) [accessed January 22, 2015] Financial Profile 2011–2012, PDF, 4.1 MB).
- Rapport sur le développement durable 2013 . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2014, ISBN 978-2-550-70258-0 (French, online (PDF) [accessed January 22, 2015] Sustainable Development Report 2013, PDF, 10.4 MB).
- Plan d'action de développement durable 2009–2013 . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2009, ISBN 978-2-550-55277-2 (French, online (PDF) [accessed March 1, 2012] Action Plan for Sustainable Development 2009–2013, PDF, 401 MB).
Web links
- Hydro-Québec website (French, English)
- History of electricity in Québec: French , English
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Annual Report 2014 Hydro-Québec, p. 2.
- ↑ hydroquebec.com ( Memento of the original from May 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF)
- ↑ Focus areas - energy technology. Representation of the Free State of Bavaria in Québec, accessed on March 28, 2012 .
- ↑ Consommation d'énergie par forme. Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, 2013, accessed on January 22, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Comparaison des prix de l'électricité dans les grandes villes Nord-Américaines. (PDF, 2.4 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2013, archived from the original on June 30, 2014 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 19-20.
- ^ Françoise Dubé: Centrales hydro-électriques. Ministère de culture, communication et condition féminine du Québec, 1991, accessed on March 1, 2012 (French).
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 76.
- ↑ a b Bélanger, Comeau: Hydro-Québec. Autres temps, autres défis. Pp. 63-70.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 126.
- ^ Hydro-Québec est heureuse de souligner le 60e anniversaire de sa création. Hydro-Québec, April 14, 2004, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 133.
- ^ Jean Louis Fleury: Les porteurs de lumières. P. 90.
- ↑ Les barrages de la rivière Bersimis. In: Histoires oubliées. Productions Vic Pelletier, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 156.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 167-168.
- ^ Bélanger, Comeau: Hydro-Québec. Autres temps, autres défis. Pp. 89-95.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 176.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 178-181.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 181-182.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 201, 205.
- ^ Vijay K. Sood: IEEE Milestone: 40th Anniversary of 735 kV Transmission System. (PDF, 1.58 MB) IEEE Canadian Review, 2006, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 227.
- ^ Power Contract Between the Quebec Hydroelectric Commission and the Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation. (PDF, 4.32 MB) archive.org, 1969, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Annual report 2010 . Hydro-Québec, Montreal 2011, ISBN 978-2-550-60867-7 , pp. 54 (French, online (PDF) [accessed March 1, 2012] Annual Report 2010, PDF, 6.42 MB). Online ( Memento of the original from April 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Peter Green: The History of Churchill Falls. IEEE Canada, accessed March 2, 2012 .
- ^ Philip Smith: Brinco: The story of Churchill Falls . McClelland and Stewart, Toronto 1975, ISBN 0-7710-8184-7 , pp. 372 .
- ^ Renvoi relatif à Upper Churchill Water Rights Reversion Act, (1984) 1 RCS 297. Institut canadien d'information juridique, May 3, 1984, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ^ Hydro-Québec c. Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corp., (1988) 1 RCS 1087. Institut canadien d'information juridique, June 9, 1988, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Robert Bothwell: Nucleus. L'histoire de l'Énergie atomique du Canada Limitée . Agence d'Arc, Ottawa 1988, ISBN 2-89022-132-6 , pp. 393-395 .
- ↑ Historique des centrales de Gentilly-1 et Gentilly-2. (PDF, 179 kB) Hydro-Québec, 2002, archived from the original on May 15, 2006 ; Retrieved March 3, 2012 (French).
- ^ Turgeon: La Radissonie. Le pays de la baie James. P. 110.
- ↑ SEBJ: Le Complexe hydroélectrique de la Grande-Rivière. P. 8.
- ↑ Route de la Baie James. Walter Muma, accessed March 3, 2012 (French).
- ^ Pierre Godin: Robert Bourassa. Les mégaprojets. À mille kilomètres de Montréal, arracher des milliards de kilowatts à une region nordique fabuleuse et hostile… In: Le Devoir, March 12, 1994, p. E7.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 278.
- ↑ SEBJ: Le Complexe hydroélectrique de la Grande-Rivière. P. 416.
- ^ Central Robert-Bourassa. Commission de toponymie du Québec, June 28, 2011, accessed March 3, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Loi sur l'exportation de l'électricité, LRQ, c E-23. Institut canadien d'information juridique, accessed on March 4, 2012 (French).
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. Pp. 390-392.
- ^ Bolduc et al .: Hydro-Québec. L'héritage d'un siècle d'électricité. P. 255.
- ^ The HVDC Transmission Québec - New England. Asea Brown Boveri , accessed March 7, 2012 .
- ^ Jean-Louis Fleury: Les coureurs de lignes. L'histoire du transport de l'électricité in Québec. P. 507.
- ^ Jean-Thomas Bernard, Éric Genest-Laplante, Benoit Laplante: Le coût d'abandonner le projet Grande-Baleine. (PDF, 1.9 MB) Université Laval, Département économique, 1992, pp. 153–167 , accessed on January 22, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Rollande Parent: Ventes d'électricité. La contestation des Cris tourne court. In: La Presse. February 22, 1990, p. D9.
- ^ Frédéric Tremblay: Les Cris perdent la bataille du Vermont. In: Le Devoir. October 3, 1992, p. A5.
- ^ Martin Pelchat: Hydro et des écologistes québécois dénoncent une organization américaine. In: La Presse. Aug 8, 1992, p. A5.
- ^ Louis-Gilles Francoeur: Écologistes québécois et américains ajustent leur tir sur Grande-Baleine. In: Le Devoir. October 9, 1992, p. 3.
- ^ The Canadian Press : NYPA annule un contrat important. In: Le Soleil. March 30, 1994, p. B8.
- ↑ Louis-Gilles Francoeur: Parizeau gèle le projet Grande-Baleine. In: Le Devoir. November 19, 1994, p. A1.
- ↑ Bruno Bisson: Panne d'électricité majeure. Le Québec in le noir. In: La Presse. April 19, 1988, p. A1.
- ^ Georges Lamon: Hydro-Québec. Return à la normal après la panne d'électricité qui aura duré jusqu'à huit heures. In: La Presse. April 20, 1988, p. A1.
- ↑ Le Québec a subi en mars 1989 une panne générale d'électricité par suite d'une tempête solaire. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Jean-Pierre Bonhomme: La tempête géomagnétique n'a pas perturbé le réseau d'Hydro-Québec. In: La Presse. June 13, 1991, p. A18.
- ↑ a b Annual Report 1998 Hydro-Québec. (PDF, 4.10 MB) Hydro-Québec, 1999, p. 10 , archived from the original on October 13, 2003 ; Retrieved March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Les dix principaux événements météorologiques canadiens de 1998. Environment Canada, August 15, 2011, accessed on March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Kathleen Lévesque: Autopsy d'un cauchemar de glace. Le Devoir, January 5, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Claude Turcotte: L'après-crise aura Couté deux milliards. Le Devoir, January 5, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Ligne à 735 kV Saint-Césaire-Hertel et poste de la Montérégie. (PDF, 685 kB) (No longer available online.) Bureauacoustiences publiques sur l'environnement, 2000, archived from the original on February 13, 2012 ; Retrieved March 5, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Not à la ligne Hertel Des Cantons. Radio-Canada, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Responses d'Hydro-Québec Production à la demande de renseignements N ° 1 de la Régie au Producteur en date du 5 mars 2004 (HQP-3, document 1). (PDF, 567 kB) Régie de l'énergie du Québec, March 19, 2004, accessed on March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b Vicky Boutin: La saga du Suroît . In: Michel Venne (ed.): L'annuaire du Québec 2005 . Fides, Montreal 2004, ISBN 2-7621-2568-5 , pp. 554-557 .
- ^ Hamad confirme l'abandon du projet du Suroît. (No longer available online.) Radio Canada, November 18, 2004, formerly the original ; Retrieved March 6, 2012 (French). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Entente concernant une nouvelle relation entre le gouvernement du Québec et les Cris du Québec. (PDF, 1.42 MB) Government of Québec, February 7, 2002, accessed March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ La paix des braves est signée. (No longer available online.) Radio-Canada, February 8, 2002, archived from the original on February 25, 2012 ; Retrieved March 6, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Un projet de développement durable. Acceptation durable. Hydro-Québec, archived from the original on June 22, 2013 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French).
- ^ Projet de l'Eastmain-1A-Sarcelle-Rupert. Projet en bref. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Projet de la Romaine: En bref. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Louis-Gilles Francoeur: Une autre rivière à harnacher dans la mire de Jean Charest. Le Devoir, March 11, 2009, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b Plan stratégique 2009–2013. Efficacité énergétique, energies renouvelables et innovation technologique. (PDF, 4.82 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, July 2009, archived from the original on March 27, 2013 ; Retrieved March 8, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Energy NB dans le giron d'Hydro-Québec. Radio-Canada, October 30, 2009, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ NB Power deal unpopular from start: documents. CBC News, June 25, 2010, accessed March 2, 2012 .
- ↑ Entente en matière d'énergie. Le Nouveau-Brunswick et le Québec concluent les négociations. New Brunswick Government, January 20, 2010, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ^ Quebec balked at NB Power sale costs. CBC News, March 24, 2010, accessed March 2, 2012 .
- ↑ Michel Corbeil: Entente avortée entre Hydro et Energy NB: un mauvais calcul politique. Le Soleil, March 25, 2010, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Canada 2004 Review. (PDF, 2.33 MB) (No longer available online.) International Energy Agency , 2004, p. 127 , archived from the original on January 31, 2018 ; accessed on March 6, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Loi sur la Régie de l'énergie, LRQ, c R-6.01. Institut canadien d'information juridique, accessed on March 6, 2012 (French).
- ^ Charles A. Trabandt: Le tarif de fourniture d'électricité au Québec et les options possibles pour introduire la concurrence dans la production d'électricité. Merrill Lynch, New York, January 14, 2000.
- ↑ Décret 1277 to 2001. (PDF, 434 kB) In: Gazette officielle du Québec. Government of Québec, November 14, 2001, pp. 7705-7725 , accessed March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Approvisionnements - Demande R-3677-2008 à la Régie de l'énergie du Québec, document HQD-2, document 2. (PDF, 104 kB) Hydro-Québec Distribution, August 1, 2008, accessed on March 6, 2012 ( French).
- ↑ Contrats d'approvisionnement en électricité par technologie. (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec Distribution, archived from the original on July 1, 2010 ; Retrieved March 6, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Parcs éoliens et centrales visés par les contrats d'approvisionnement. Hydro-Québec Distribution, accessed March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Annual report 2007–2008. (PDF, 1.52 MB) Régie de l'énergie du Québec, 2008, p. 4 , accessed on March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Robert Dutrisac: Le retour de l'arbitraire. Le Devoir, October 3, 2009, accessed March 6, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 98.
- ↑ Hydro-Québec Annual Report 2008. (PDF, 6.4 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2008, p. 96 , archived from the original on February 24, 2014 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Hydro-Québec Annual Report 2008. (PDF, 7.1 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2009, p. 102 , archived from the original on March 31, 2010 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 51.
- ^ Annual report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 53.
- ↑ a b Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 95.
- ^ Annual Report 2009 Hydro-Québec. (PDF, 8.05 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2010, p. 88 , archived from the original on September 23, 2010 ; Retrieved March 5, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Bolduc: You génie au pouvoir. P. 245.
- ↑ Claude Garcia, Marcel Boyer: La privatization d'Hydro-Québec. Une idée à explorer. (PDF, 208 kB) Institut économique de Montréal, August 29, 2007, accessed on March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Claude Garcia: Comment la privatization d'Hydro-Québec permettrait-elle d'enrichir les Québécois? (PDF, 1.62 MB) Institut économique de Montréal, February 2009, accessed on March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Faut-il privatized Hydro-Québec? Radio Canada, November 8, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Sondage Léger Marketing / Journal de Montréal / TVA / The Gazette - Rapport d'analysis. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Léger Marketing, November 10, 2008, archived from the original on March 3, 2016 ; Retrieved March 5, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Tout le monde en parle. Radio-Canada, November 16, 2008, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Denis Lessard: Privatization d'Hydro: "pas dans les cartons du gouvernement". La Presse, February 4, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Yvan Allaire: Private Hydro Québec? Le Devoir, September 10, 2007, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Bertrand Trembley: Non à la privatation. Le Quotidien, March 10, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Léo-Paul Lauzon: Continuer à privatiser Hydro-Québec, ou consolider ses opérations. (PDF, 73 kB) Université du Québec à Montréal, chaire d'études socio-économiques, March 1994, accessed on March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Gabriel Sainte-Marie: Vendre Hydro-Québec ne règle rien. Le Soleil, March 1, 2009, accessed March 5, 2012 (French).
- ^ Annual report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 8.
- ^ Annual report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 14.
- ↑ Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 12.
- ↑ a b c Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 118.
- ^ Claude Turcotte: AbitibiBowater annonce un plan de recapitalization - La forestière vend à Hydro-Québec la centrale Manicouagan. Le Devoir, March 14, 2009, accessed March 7, 2012 (French).
- ^ Faits sur l'électricité d'Hydro-Québec. Approvisionnements énergétiques et émissions atmériques 2013. (PDF, 483 kB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2014, archived from the original on August 26, 2014 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Taïeb Hafsi: Fundamental Dynamics in Complex Organizational Change: A Longitudinal Inquiry into Hydro-Québec's Management . Ed .: Long Range Planning. 2001, p. 557-583 , doi : 10.1016 / S0024-6301 (01) 00082-6 .
- ^ A b Peter Fairley: TransEnergie: Playing Two Power Games. In: Technology Review. April 2005, accessed March 7, 2012 .
- ^ TransEnergie - Profile de la division. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 7, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Denis Lessard: Fragile entente avec Terre-Neuve sur Churchill Falls. (No longer available online.) La Presse April 3, 2009, archived from the original April 6, 2009 ; Retrieved March 7, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Modèle de fiabilité en Amérique du Nord. (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, archived from the original on August 28, 2012 ; Retrieved March 7, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Notre réseau de transport d'électricité. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 7, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Poste de l'Outaouais at 315-230 kV. Déroulement des travaux. (PDF, 511 kB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, June 2007, archived from the original on June 2, 2014 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ The Cascade Stage of the Blackout. (PDF, 4.5 MB) In: Final Report on the August 14, 2003 Blackout in the United States and Canada. Causes and Recommendations. US-Canada Power System Outage Task Force, April 2004, p. 93 , accessed January 22, 2015 .
- ↑ Membres. Association des redistributeurs d'électricité du Québec, accessed on January 22, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Hydro-Québec Annual Report 2007. (PDF, 3.7 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2008, pp. 100–101 , archived from the original on March 26, 2013 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Plan d'approvisionnement 2014–2023 réseau intégré. (PDF, 460 kB) Hydro-Québec, November 1, 2013, accessed on January 22, 2015 (French).
- ^ Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Québec. Hydro-Québec Technology, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Axes d'innovation. Hydro-Québec, accessed January 22, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Danielle Ouellet, Alain Fortier: Hydro-Québec et ses alliés en recherche et développement . In: Forces . No. 104 (1993/94) , ISSN 0015-6957 , pp. 26-30 .
- ↑ Decouvrir nos laboratoires de pointe. Hydro-Québec Technology, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Sébastien Templier: Moteur électrique: percée majeure chez Hydro-Québec. (No longer available online.) La Presse, October 16, 2009, archived from the original on December 3, 2009 ; Retrieved March 8, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Annual Report 2009 Hydro-Québec, p. 35.
- ^ François Cardinal: Une batterie dans les cartons d'Hydro-Québec. (No longer available online.) La Presse November 19, 2008, archived from the original on February 19, 2012 ; Retrieved March 8, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Louis-Gilles Francoeur: Moteur-roue: Volvo dans les traces d'Hydro. Le Devoir, January 15, 2008, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Moteur québécois, fabrication étrangère? Radio-Canada, September 22, 2006, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Tata Motors et Miljø TM4 associent à leur program de démonstration de véhicules électriques. Hydro-Québec, January 15, 2009, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Louis-Gilles Francoeur: Hydro-Québec est en voiture. Le Devoir, January 16, 2009, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Hydro-Québec et Mitsubishi lanceront le plus important essai de véhicules électriques au Canada. Hydro-Québec, January 14, 2010, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ All systems go! Hydro-Québec and Mitsubishi launch the largest electric vehicle trial in Canada. Newswire, December 20, 2010, accessed March 8, 2012 .
- ↑ Le Circuit électrique compte 253 bornes de recharge utilisées 1000 fois par mois. Métro, March 28, 2014, accessed on January 22, 2015 .
- ^ Transelec Chile. Hydro-Québec vend sa participation pour 1.7 billion de dollars. Hydro-Québec, June 16, 2006, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Enel acquires joint stake in Fortuna. Business News America, August 4, 2006, accessed March 8, 2012 .
- ^ Annual report Hydro-Québec 1999. (PDF, 4.90 MB) Hydro-Québec, 2000, p. 35 , archived from the original on May 8, 2005 ; Retrieved March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Histoire. Senelec, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Hydro-Québec International Sells its Stake in Meiya Power Company Limited of China for US $ 84.6 million. Hydro-Québec, July 30, 2004, accessed March 8, 2012 .
- ↑ La presse canadienne , Le Soleil: Il ya un peu d'Hydro-Québec dans le barrage des Trois Gorges. May 19, 2006, accessed March 1, 2012 (French)
- ↑ Robert Dutrisac: Un milliard au fund of générations. Le Devoir, October 24, 2006, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Les communautés de poissons. (PDF, 984 kB) Hydro-Québec, 2001, accessed on March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ a b c Daniel Dubeau: Le souci constant de l'environnement chez Hydro-Québec . In: Yves Bélanger, Robert Comeau (eds.): Hydro-Québec. Autres temps, autres défis . Presses de l'Université du Québec, Sainte-Foy 1995, ISBN 2-7605-0809-9 , pp. 241-254 .
- ↑ a b c d e Gaétan Hayeur: Synthèse des connaissances environnementales acquises en milieu nordique de 1970 à 2000. (PDF, 18.0 MB) Hydro-Québec, 2001, pp. 88–89 , accessed on March 8, 2012 (French ).
- ↑ La question du mercure pour Hydro-Québec. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Les gaz à effet de serre et les réservoirs hydroélectriques. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Thierry Vandal: Le défi du développement durable . In: Michel Venne, Antoine Robitaille (ed.): L'annuaire du Québec 2006 . Fides, Montreal 2005, ISBN 2-7621-2646-0 , pp. 236-240 .
- ^ Notre approche intégrée. Définir le développement durable. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - sommaire. Hydro-Québec, accessed March 8, 2012 (French).
- ^ Hydro-Québec: Rapport sur le développement durable 2010, p. 24.
- ↑ a b c d e Annual Report 2013 Hydro-Québec, p. 99.
- ^ Plan stratégique 2004–2008. (PDF, 1.77 MB) (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, 2003, p. 220 , archived from the original on April 17, 2012 ; Retrieved on March 2, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Olivier Bourque: Pas de hausse de tarifs pour Hydro l'an prochain. (No longer available online.) Argent, 2010, archived from the original on August 3, 2010 ; Retrieved March 28, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Bradley Snider: Le chauffage domiciliaire et l'environment. (PDF, 204 kB) In: Tendances sociales canadiennes. Statistique Canada, 2006, pp. 17-21 , accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Ce qui fait varier votre consommation. (No longer available online.) Hydro-Québec, archived from the original on February 22, 2012 ; Retrieved on March 2, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2006 et leur évolution depuis 2006. (PDF, 182 kB) Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs du Québec, November 2008, accessed on March 2, 2012 ( French).
- ↑ Pointe de consommation d'électricité: de record en record. (No longer available online.) Le Soleil, January 22, 2014, archived from the original on January 22, 2015 ; Retrieved January 22, 2015 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Mode de versements égaux. Hydro-Québec, accessed January 22, 2015 (French).
- ^ Avis de la Régie de l'énergie sur la distribution d'électricité aux grands consommateurs industriels. (PDF, 771 kB) Régie de l'énergie du Québec, May 30, 2005, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ L'énergie pour construire le Québec de demain. (PDF, 14 MB) Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec, 2006, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Pierre Couture: Les alumineries coûtent cher à Hydro-Québec: plus de 3 billion $. Le Soleil, August 28, 2008, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ France Paradis: Les accords liant Alcan et Québec seront respectés. (No longer available online.) Le Lac-St-Jean, August 10, 2007, formerly in the original ; Retrieved on March 2, 2012 (French). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Alcoa et Hydro-Québec ont renouvelé des ententes jusqu'en 2040. Le Devoir, December 20, 2008, accessed on March 2, 2012 (French).
- ^ Jean-Thomas Bernard, Gérard Bélanger: Coût économique de l'électricité vendue aux nouvelles alumineries. Options politiques, April 2008, accessed January 22, 2015 (French).
- ↑ Luc Boulanger: Politique hydro-électrique et développement régional. Options politiques, April 2008, accessed March 2, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Hydro-Québec Annual Report 2008, p. 104.
- ↑ Hydro-Québec Annual Report 2011, p. 96.
- ↑ 2008/2009 Winter Reliability Assessment. (PDF, 1.50 MB) (No longer available online.) North American Reliability Corporation, November 2008, archived from the original on February 18, 2012 ; Retrieved March 3, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Hélène Baril: Hydro et le Vermont négocient un contrat. (No longer available online.) La Presse April 25, 2007, archived from the original June 21, 2009 ; Retrieved March 3, 2012 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Geneviève Lajoie: Une porte sur les É.-U. Le Journal de Québec, March 11, 2010, accessed March 3, 2012 (French).
- ^ Quebec, Vermont sign hydro deal. CBC News, August 12, 2010, accessed May 7, 2012 (French).
- ^ Daniel Barlow: Gov. signs renewable energy policy. Rutland Herald, June 5, 2010, accessed January 22, 2015 .
- ↑ Cornwall Electric Council Decreasing. (No longer available online.) Choose Cornwall, July 1, 2008, archived from the original on January 22, 2015 ; accessed on March 3, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Exportations d'électricité - Retour des contrats à long terme avec les États-Unis. Le Devoir, February 4, 2009, accessed March 3, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Stéphane Savard: Lieu-de-mémoiriser hydro-québec comme symbols of representations de la nature et de la technology. nevus.org, 2007, accessed January 22, 2015 (French).
- ^ Caroline Desbiens: Producing North and South: A political geography of hydro development in Quebec. (PDF, 1.36 MB) (No longer available online.) In: The Canadian Geographer / Le Géographe canadien, issue 48, no. 2. 2004, pp. 101–118 , archived from the original on January 22, 2015 ; accessed on March 1, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Dominique Perron: Le nouveau roman de l'énergie nationale. Analysis of the discours promotionnels d'Hydro-Québec from 1964 to 1997 . University of Calgary Press, Calgary 2006, ISBN 978-1-55238-203-5 , pp. 250-251 .
- ^ Paul-André Linteau: Histoire du Québec contemporain Volume 2: Le Québec depuis 1930 . Boréal, Montreal 1997, ISBN 2-89052-298-9 , pp. 466 .
- ^ Mélanie St-Hilaire: Bob Morane, engineer aventurier. imaginaire.ca, 2004, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Georges Dor. La chanson du Québec et ses cousines, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan. National Film Board of Canada , accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Historique. Amicale Manic GT, 2007, accessed March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Augmentation of the tarifs d'électricité. La prudence s'impose! (PDF, 515 kB) Association québécoise des consommateurs industriels d'électricité, September 30, 2009, accessed on March 1, 2012 (French).
- ↑ Les coûts de l'énergie et les PME: Une augmentation en moyenne de 12.9% en 3 ans. (No longer available online.) Fédération canadienne de l'entreprise indépendante, December 3, 2009, formerly in the original ; Retrieved March 1, 2012 (French). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ La restauration de Gentilly-2 doit aller de l'avant plus que jamais. Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec, December 11, 2009, accessed on March 1, 2012 (French).
- ^ Bertrand Perron, Jean-Guy Vaillancourt, Claire Durand: Les leaders de groupes verts et leur rapport aux institutions. (PDF; 1.4 MB) In: Recherches sociographiques, issue 40, no. 3. Érudit, 1999, pp. 521–549 , accessed on March 1, 2012 (French).
Remarks
- ↑ Unless otherwise stated, “dollar” in this article represents the Canadian dollar .
- ↑ The Hamilton Falls were renamed Churchill Falls in 1965 in honor of the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill .
