Hydro-Québec will provide new energy deliveries to New England which will reduce harmful emissions in the region.

Hydro-Québec is responding today to false claims made by opponents to the New England Clean Energy Connect in Maine regarding the company’s energy supply. Opponents to the Clean Energy Corridor are using a discredited study published last year in an attempt to create confusion about Hydro-Québec’s available energy, and the powerline’s ability to help New England with its decarbonization objectives.

The study published by l’Institut économique de Montréal ultimately makes the case for an increased use of natural gas in Québec – a vision for the province which Hydro-Québec does not share. For more on the study’s erroneous conclusions, see here.

In summary –

The author of the study does not rely on accurate data nor does he consider the full range of upcoming technological changes and efficiency measures in the electricity sector.
Although energy efficiency efforts are key to Hydro-Québec’s main electricity supply in the coming years, generating electricity from renewable sources can be increased if warranted. The author only mentions the hydropower potential, but other sources could be exploited, such as wind power or photovoltaic solar power, which has considerable potential in the province.

Future electricity generation in Québec will come from renewable sources. Hydro-Québec’s new wind power project, in collaboration with Indigenous communities, is evidence of this approach for increasing energy supplies.

Independent agencies tasked with reviewing the powerline’s merits and ensuring that the project meets public interests, including Québec’s Environmental review board (Bureau d’audiences publiques en environnement) as well as state and federal agencies in the United-States, have concluded that the New England Clean Energy Connect will indeed reduce carbon emissions and provide support to decarbonization efforts in New England.