The Minister of Energy, Jonatan Julien, does not intend to intervene to limit the upcoming increase in electricity prices.
The Legault government passed Bill 34 in 2019, bringing these rates into line with inflation and exempting Hydro-Québec from an annual review by the Régie de l’énergie. On Tuesday, Julien confirmed that electricity prices will increase by at least 2.6% in 2022; this is a larger increase than the last one, which was 1.3%.
“What we give Quebecers is predictability […] according to inflation, he defended himself at a press briefing. There is nothing more predictable than that, and we are not going to interfere politically to change that. “
Earlier, the opposition parties joined forces to denounce this “huge” increase in Quebecers’ electricity bills.
Contrary to what Mr. Julien claims, inflation, by definition, “it is very poorly predicted”, underlined the parliamentary leader of Quebec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. “When the CAQ shoved Bill 34 down our throats with a gag order […], my colleague Ruba [Ghazal] had been very clear: “It is a poisoned gift that this bill there.” “
As usual, it is the most vulnerable families who will pay the price, denounced the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon. “Quebecers are getting poorer under the regime of François Legault,” he complained. Housing is completely unaffordable, the basket of groceries is increasing dramatically […], and there, we add Hydro-Québec. “
In 2017, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) qualified hydroelectricity rate increases as a “disguised tax” and affirmed that with its reform, Quebecers would benefit from much lower rate increases.
“It happens exactly the opposite, then the PQ said it loud and clear in 2019,” protested Mr. St-Pierre Plamondon, who believes that the average consumer “is being cheated at the moment”. The consequence of the Legault reform, “is that, now, Hydro-Quebec can increase the bill for all Quebecers without even having to go in front of the control”, summarized for her part the liberal leader Dominique Anglade.
Minister Julien, however, recalled on Tuesday the role of the Régie de l’énergie, which in 2025 will conduct a review of the last five years and may reduce tariffs if it considers that Quebecers pay too much for their electricity.