(Quebec) The Legault government believes that Hydro-Quebec and its partner Central Maine Power can continue the construction of an electricity transmission line to Massachusetts despite the referendum defeat suffered yesterday.
“Legally, we think we can move forward,” Energy Minister Jonatan Julien said on Wednesday during an exchange at the Salon Bleu. In the morning press scrum, he was even more rebellious. “The project must go ahead because we had all the authorizations to do so. We are not demobilizing resources. We are in the field and we are working, ”he said.
The day before, Hydro-Quebec and its partner Central Maine Power suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of opponents of the energy project that would supply consumers in Boston via Maine. The consequences are significant: these sales of electricity would bring in around ten billion in Quebec over 20 years.
But nearly 60% of Maine citizens opposed it retroactively. This is what bothers the Quebec government, since construction has started since January 2020, and Hydro-Quebec’s partner has already spent US $ 400 million to advance the project, the total cost of which is estimated at US $ 1 billion. .
The minister noted that the project has obtained all the necessary authorizations, including a presidential authorization and authorizations from the United States Department of Energy.
“A referendum which takes a position and which retroactively undoes all the permits we have obtained with our partner, we find that particular, and we will validate all the legal options,” said Minister Julien.
Mr. Julien questioned himself out loud about the value of the referendum. “This is what we are analyzing with the legal teams. We will watch this carefully. As an investor, as a stakeholder in a project, retroactively, when we had everything we needed to do it, we strongly question ourselves, ”he said.
Legault’s failure
In the morning, the Liberal Party attacked the leadership of Prime Minister François Legault. “What happened yesterday, of course, was a failure. It is a failure for all Quebecers, then it is also a failure, very clearly, for François Legault, ”denounced MP Pierre Arcand, who has already served as Minister of Energy.
“François Legault is in Glasgow, he is praising his green battery. […] Mr. Legault was not able to come to an agreement with Ontario. There was an article last week from the president of Hydro-Quebec on the New York line, saying there were still many challenges about the New York line. And there we have a referendum that is completely negative for Quebec. So it’s really a sad situation, ”he lamented.
For its part, Quebec solidaire believes that we must take note of the result of the referendum, even if the response of the Mainois does not suit Quebec. “This is not the decision we wanted. I think everyone is disappointed today. At the same time, we must respect the democratic process, ”said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
He stresses, however, that if “the legislation over there allows other remedies”, Hydro-Quebec must consider them. “But there is a decision, for the moment, democratic which was taken, it is necessary to take note of it”, he said.
Green battery at risk
The parliamentary leader of the Parti Québécois, Joël Arsenault, does not believe that the CAQ should be blamed for the referendum failure. “I find it difficult to see the connection between the results of a referendum held in a state neighboring the United States and the personal responsibility of the Prime Minister. I think that in a situation like that, we must show solidarity with Hydro-Quebec. […] I find it short, ”he said.
However, he believes that Mr. Legault must realize that his “green battery” project does not exonerate him from finding solutions to reduce GHG emissions in Quebec. “That means that the Prime Minister can now say to himself: my just transition project is limited to the idea of a green battery that is being cut off? I don’t think so, that’s what I was saying earlier. Where I expect more from the Prime Minister is that he broaden his horizons beyond the export of energy, ”he said.