For approximately 30 years, Hydro-Québec has been proud to announce that its exports significantly reduce GHG emissions among our neighbours. This is due to the fact that the states of the American Northeast rely heavily on fossil fuels to generate electricity. Recently, Hydro-Québec exports have replaced electricity from natural gas power plants.
For several years, Hydro-Québec has also been promoting electric vehicles. But what is their actual performance? Take the case of a compact gasoline car (8 litres/100 km) replaced by an electric Chevrolet Bolt, over a distance of 18,000 km/year. The compact car emits 3.6 tonnes of CO2 per year. The Chevrolet Bolt, which replaces it over the same distance, consumes 3.2 MWh of electricity, with the following effects. For a given year, the production of hydroelectricity is fixed, because it depends on the total amount of rain; Consequently, when Quebec consumption increases by 3.2 MWh, this means that this 3.2 MWh can no longer be exported to our neighbours.
US power plants must compensate by emitting 1.6 tonnes of CO2. And the Chevrolet Bolt’s 60 kWh batteries were made in China, and produced emissions of about nine tonnes of CO2. In short, the electric car will not reduce emissions in any way during its first four years. Claiming it’s a zero-emission vehicle is misleading marketing.
And now, Hydro-Québec is announcing a partnership with Énergir, with the aim of reducing emissions from the combustion of natural gas in heating. This partnership aims to implement dual-energy systems to replace a portion of gas heating (75%) with electric heating. This partnership is controversial, because Hydro-Quebec will have to pay millions to Énergir to compensate for lost revenue due to the drop in gas sales. It is therefore an application of the “subsidized polluter” principle, instead of the “polluter pays” principle.
But, more seriously, this program would seriously increase emissions. Once again, when Hydro-Québec devotes a portion of its electricity to a Quebec program, it can no longer export this electricity. Let’s take a single-family house whose heating consumes 60,000 MJ of gas per year. By adopting dual energy, it reduces its gas consumption by 75%, or 45,000 MJ, with an apparent drop in emissions of three tonnes of CO2. To replace the 45,000 MJ of heating, 12 MWh of electricity is needed, which can no longer be exported. This electricity, produced by American power plants, will emit about six tons of CO2. There will therefore be a net increase in emissions of about three tonnes for each customer who adopts dual energy. The Government of Quebec must cancel this unjustified program.
Why are we at this impasse, where emission reductions are illusory? Because Hydro-Québec, for 10 years, no longer has the courage to carry out new renewable energy projects. There is, however, an obvious way to ensure that electric cars and new electric heating reduce emissions: build new equipment to supply them with clean electricity, without reducing electricity exports.
Two production options are adapted to the Quebec context: hydroelectricity and wind energy. As a matter of urgency, Hydro-Québec must start planning hydroelectric projects again, because their development requires eight years.
For wind power development, Hydro-Québec must become the prime contractor for a 15,000 or 20,000 MW megaprogram. The current model, based on private producers, is inadequate. Why ? Wind energy has two constraints: its intermittency and its great need for transmission lines; private producers are unable to manage or reduce these constraints. If Hydro-Québec carries out the development, it can ensure that the sites are chosen optimally, to limit the lines required and ensure that the hydroelectric reservoirs can compensate for the intermittency of wind production.
Hydro-Quebec must return to its basic mission, which is to build renewable energy projects, instead of subsidizing electricity consumption.