Énergir undertakes to withdraw its lawsuit aimed at invalidating a regulation adopted by the City of Prévost, in the Laurentians, which prohibits the new connection of certain natural gas appliances.
Thus, the new regulation, the first of its kind in Quebec, will come into force as planned on December 31.
“This decision meets our expectations. As a local government, we have the responsibility and the skills to move forward on environmental issues, an essential approach in line with the concerns of citizens, who count on their municipal representatives to make their voice heard on this matter. ‘Rejoiced the mayor of Prévost, Paul Germain.
If Prévost was the first Quebec municipality to adopt a by-law aimed at restricting new natural gas connections at the end of September, other cities, including Montreal, have expressed their intentions in this direction.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The mayor of Prévost, Paul Germain.
The new Prévost by-law prohibits certain types of use of fossil gas or renewable natural gas in new residential and institutional buildings. But residential gas stoves and barbecues connected to a gas distribution network are not covered.
A satisfactory clarification
Deeming the regulation “unreasonable”, “discriminatory”, Énergir presented a motion filed in Superior Court with the aim of having it invalidated. The company distributes approximately 97% of the natural gas consumed in the province, its website indicates.
Énergir indicated Thursday that recent clarifications made to Prévost’s new regulations had convinced it to review its position. Among other things, the regulation now allows the replacement of existing equipment operating in whole or in part using a fossil fuel with equipment operating on dual energy or renewable natural gas.
This clarification “allows us to avoid any ambiguity on the scope [du] regulation and is satisfactory,” explains the company, which therefore undertakes to withdraw its lawsuit once the adoption of these modifications to the regulation is completed during the municipal council meeting of January 15, 2024.
“For us, it was essential that our customers could have the choice to determine the best renewable option for them,” explains Vice-President, Customers and Gas Supply, Renault Lortie.
Énergir has 535,000 customers in Quebec and Vermont.