Hydro-Québec should start calling itself Hydro-and-Wind-Québec — on account of all the dang windmills it’s planning to build.
What happened: Hydro-Québec will become the main developer of wind energy projects in the province — a role previously held by the private sector — with plans to construct new wind farms that will add 10,000 megawatts of energy generation to its network by 2035.
- Reaching this megawattage — which, in theory, could provide enough power for up to 12 million average Canadian homes — will require thousands of wind turbines.
Big picture: Hydro-Québec isn’t the only hydro utility mixing up its energy sources. In April, BC Hydro made a rare call for the private sector to bid on wind and solar projects. Last year, Manitoba Hydro said it would shift mostly to wind to boost capacity rather than build more dams.
- This past February, Canada imported more energy than it sent to the U.S. for the first time in eight years, thanks to a steep drop in power generated by hydroelectricity.
Why it matters: As hard-to-predict extreme weather and record consumption levels tax energy grids, utilities want to diversify, lest the lights go dark. The electricity pinch has been most notable in hydro-reliant provinces, which suffered severely dry winters this year.—QH