Slash oil use by one-third by 2025: report
Coalition urges province to place more emphasis on renewable energy
The Couillard government should slash oil consumption in the province by one-third, by 2025, a coalition of energy producers recommends in a report.
The Association québécoise pour la production d’énergie renouvelable (AQPER) urged the province, which is currently working on its 2016-2025 energy policy, to develop its clean energy sectors with the objective of one day eliminating its dependence on oil.
Steven Guilbeault of environmental group Équiterre and Yves-Thomas Dorval of the employers’ group Conseil du patronat were also on hand Monday to defend the report.
“We can increase economic development to support a better prosperity for Quebec,” Dorval told a news conference, adding economic and sustainable development go hand in hand.
“There needs to be a clear objective so that the investments will go and support the objective.”
AQPER president Jean-François Samray said if Quebec is serious about cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030, it will need to cut oil consumption by 30 per cent over the next decade and invest much more in renewable energies, such as wind and solar power.
“We think there is a large consensus around the need to accelerate our conversion toward sustainable development, without which the government will not be able to meet its 37.5 per cent target,” Samray said. Quebec is set to present its new objectives at the United Nations’ conference on climate change on Nov. 30 in Paris.
According to the AQPER report, oil is still the most-used form of energy in Quebec (41 per cent), followed closely by electricity (34 per cent).
The province spends about $16 billion annually to import oil.
Samray recommended the government invest in wind and solar power production, small hydroelectricity stations, ethanol, biomass and biomethane using domestic waste.
The latter recommendation depends largely on Quebecers, Guilbeault said, pointing out that several municipalities have adopted mandatory programs for composting.
“In the city of Montreal by 2017 composting will be mandatory and frankly thank God we’re catching up,” he said. “In Toronto it’s been like that for a decade. Welcome to the 21st century Quebec, let’s do this.
Meanwhile, projects to develop residual forest biomass are currently blocked, said Amélie StLaurent Samuel from the environmental group Vision biomasse Québec.
Biomass is fuel that is developed from organic materials used to create electricity or other forms of power.
Samuel said the Liberals have put biomass projects on ice while they conduct an overarching review of government programs.
Energy Minister Pierre Arcand is expected to table his 2016-2025 energy policy before the end of the year.
His colleague, Transport Minister Robert Poëti, is working on a plan to electrify transportation, which could include measures to encourage the purchase of electric cars in the province.