Legault seeks energy alliance with Ontario, Atlantic Provinces
If elected, he would push for an accord to maximize Hydro-Québec exports
The leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec says he wants to form an energy alliance with Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces to if he becomes premier in this fall’s election.
François Legault announced his plan, which he says would help export more Quebec electricity, on Monday as part of an address to the Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal (CORIM). The multi-region deal would involve building additional power lines to Ontario, the northeastern United States and even the U.S. Midwest. It even left open the possibility of building another dam.
“If Quebecers put their trust in us, I intend to start discussions to forge an alliance with Ontario and with the Atlantic Provinces the Energy Alliance. In fact, we must have the ambition to significantly increase Quebec’s electricity exports, and thus, to enrich Quebecers,” he said.
Legault is hoping such an alliance would attract Ontario and put an end to decades of hydro squabbles between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Last September, however, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne balked after Legault boasted that she had said she was open to his export plan. She said that her province did not have unmet energy needs at that time.
He replied that he understood the reluctance, that the refurbishment of shuttered nuclear plants creates Ontario jobs while importing Quebec hydro creates jobs outside her province, however he hopes that the cost savings overall would convince Ontario to buy in.
Hydro is “the business of the century,” he said Monday.
He also touted his plan as part of the fight against climate change, calling it the cleanest option. “Quebec has an immense store of clean energy in the Northeastern U.S.,” he said.
He also pointed out that HydroQuébec had just landed a deal with Massachusetts that could generation $10 billion in revenue over 20 years — and that he’d like to repeat that success.
He believes that Quebec must intensify ties with the various levels of government and with major economic players in the United States, with a particular focus on the Northeast states.
“We must also act with greater strength at home,” he added, emphasizing the need to have local content requirements in major infrastructure projects in Quebec. His government would make them mandatory, he said, but did not set a minimum percentage.
Legault’s Coalition has been riding high in recent opinion polls, with at least one indicating he would have formed a majority government had the election been held when the survey was conducted.
The Quebec election will be held Oct. 1.