TES Canada’s self-production electricity project for commercial purposes contravenes the law which protects Hydro-Québec’s monopoly and constitutes a first step towards the denationalization of the state-owned company, according to environmental groups.
“It’s René Lévesque who must be turning in his grave,” commented Jean-Pierre Finet, spokesperson for the Regroupement des organisms Environnemental en Énergie. “This project goes well beyond simple self-production which is permitted by law,” he maintains. This is a first milestone in the denationalization of electricity in Quebec. »
When announcing the project in Shawinigan on Friday, the Minister of Economy, Energy and Innovation argued the opposite.
“Currently, Hydro-Québec’s legislative framework allows self-production on the site where a company can have its wind turbines and its solar power, which are connected directly to the factory,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon. This project is perfectly in line with current regulations. »
Patrick Bonin, spokesperson for Greenpeace Canada, does not agree with the minister. He also believes that the TES Canada project creates a breach in Hydro-Québec’s monopoly and that it contravenes current law.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Patrick Bonin, spokesperson for Greenpeace Canada
Which is not so much a surprise, because for a long time, we have expected the minister to change the law to allow greater opening to private production.
Patrick Bonin, spokesperson for Greenpeace Canada
In support of their assertions, both Jean-Pierre Finet and Patrick Bonin point to articles 60, 61 and 62 of the Act respecting the Energy Board which protect the Hydro-Québec monopoly.
Article 60 specifies that anyone can produce and distribute electricity provided they consume it for their own needs. Electricity produced from forest biomass, exceptionally, can be distributed to another consumer “on a location adjacent to the production site”, indicates the law.
“I do not see how electricity production within a 30 km radius around the plant could be interpreted as coming from an “adjacent location” to it as required by law,” notes Patrick Bonin .
The following article of the same law specifies that “no one may operate an electricity distribution network in the territory of a holder of an exclusive electricity distribution right”, which is Hydro-Québec.
Obviously, the Act respecting the Energy Board and the Hydro-Québec Act will have to be modified for the TES Canada project to be realized, adds Jean-Pierre Finet. “We strongly oppose it,” he said. Today, we allow the harnessing of wind, a public resource, for private purposes, tomorrow, it will be rivers and then, small modular nuclear reactors. And we cannot oppose it. Quebec is now an all-you-can-eat energy buffet. It’s a very sad day. »
Moratorium demanded
The Group of Environmental Energy Organizations, Greenpeace Canada and around twenty other organizations called at the beginning of the week for a moratorium on the “granting” of electricity blocks to industrial companies, which requires massive investments to increase electricity production.
The Quebec government risks itself creating an electricity shortage by guaranteeing energy-intensive companies electrical capacities that do not exist and that it is not realistic to try to build, argues the group.
According to the signatories of the request, a moratorium should be imposed on all industrial projects over 5 MW, while Quebec adopts an energy policy.
The Quebec government itself chose to grant the 1000 MW available in the short term on the electricity network to 11 companies, including TES Canada, which were among the many companies which had requested a supply of electricity.