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72-595: The Romaine is a salmon river located in Minganie RCM , Côte-Nord , and Labrador regions, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador provinces, in Canada . Romaine River is 496 kilometres (308 mi) long. It is not to be confused with the Olomane River that is 220 kilometres (140 mi) to the east and had the same name for a long time. The river is about 518 kilometres (322 mi) long, none of which

144-681: A 2010 documentary called "Chercher le courant" ("Seeking The Current") by Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldère. The film argues that the Romaine project is unnecessary, unprofitable, and ecologically destructive. It is also opposed by the Fondation Rivières. The Romaine River is home to the Atlantic salmon that swims 52 kilometres (32 mi) upstream as far as the Grande Chute. Other fish species are Brook trout (found along

216-507: A cook, explored 440 square miles of a territory stretching from Sept-Îles to Blanc Sablon, in the Lac à l'Ours region. In the field, scientists noted an abundance of Canadian beavers, a few otters and American mink, many hares, partridges and a multitude of ducks. Caribou and moose are scarce while black bears and red foxes abound. The waters of the St. Lawrence Estuary are internationally recognized as

288-419: A few laricinin fields ( Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch). There are also White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss.), Dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa Minchx), Rough alder (Alnus rugosa (DuRoi Spreng.) and Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michaux). Brothers Marie-Victorin and Rolland Germain F.E.C. explored the region from 1924 to 1928. Their work has raised awareness in the scientific community of

360-531: A guaranteed peak capacity of 34,342 MW —at a set price of 2.79¢ per kWh. Order in council 1277-2001 specifies quantities to be delivered for each of the 8,760 hourly intervals, which vary from 11,420 to 34,342 MW. According to the 2017 annual report the workforce stood at 19,786 employees, both permanent and temporary workers. And, a total of 1,304 employees were hired. In 1981, the Parti Québécois government redefined Hydro-Québec's mission by modifying

432-492: A network of 112,089 kilometres (69,649 mi) of medium and low voltage lines. The division is the sole electric distributor across the province, with the exception of 9 municipal distribution networks — in Alma , Amos , Baie-Comeau , Coaticook , Joliette , Magog , Saguenay , Sherbrooke and Westmount —and the electric cooperative of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Rouville . Hydro-Québec Distribution buys most of its power from

504-588: A target of 25% of cars sold in 2020 to be electric. The plan also called for provincial utility company Hydro-Quebec to develop a strategy for the deployment of public charging infrastructure. This resulted in the creation of "The Electric Circuit" ( French : Le Circuit Électrique ), the largest public network of charging stations for electric vehicles in Quebec . The first 30 charging stations were put into use in March 2012. The network's first 400V fast charger

576-833: A vital feeding ground for rare or common species of marine mammals. Many species of birds can be observed in the Côte-Nord region and the Mingan RCM, including Havre-Saint-Pierre and in Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve Hydro-Qu%C3%A9bec Hydro-Québec is a Canadian Crown corporation public utility headquartered in Montreal , Quebec. It manages the generation , transmission and distribution of electricity in Quebec, as well as

648-512: A way to increase the government's annual dividend without resorting to privatization. Others, like columnist Bertrand Tremblay of Saguenay 's Le Quotidien , claim that privatization would signal a drift to the days when Quebec's natural resources were sold in bulk to foreigners at ridiculously low prices. "For too long, Tremblay writes, Quebec was somewhat of a banana republic, almost giving away its forestry and water resources. In turn, those foreign interests were exporting our jobs associated with

720-673: Is also responsible for the production of power in remote communities not connected to the main power grid. The division operates an off-grid hydroelectric dam serving communities on the Lower North Shore and 23 small diesel power plants in the Magdalen Islands , in Haute-Mauricie and in Nunavik . In April 2011 the government of Quebec published a plan to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, setting

792-409: Is by far the largest source, followed by wind (2.16%) and biomass, biogas and waste (0.75%). The remainder came from nuclear (0.19%) and thermal (0.12%) generation. Emissions of carbon dioxide (1,130 tonnes/TWh), sulfur dioxide (4 tonnes/TWh) and nitrogen oxides (10 tonnes/TWh) were between 49 and 238 times lower than the industry average in northeastern North America. Imported electricity bought on

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864-529: Is in Labrador since the east bank of the river forms the border between Quebec and Labrador. The river has a Strahler number of 7. It has its source on the boundary between the Atlantic and St. Lawrence watersheds, and flows first through a series of lakes, including Long, Marc, Brûlé (Burnt) , Lavoie, Anderson, and Lozeau. This portion of the river to just past the confluence with Uauahkue Patauan Creek forms

936-721: Is located in the backcountry of the Côte-Nord , it's part of the unorganized territory of Lac-Jérôme in Minganie MRC . The protected area is about 165 km north-northwest of Havre-Saint-Pierre and about 155 km north of the Innu community ( Ekuanishit ). The Romaine River includes several important tributaries: the Puyjalon river at the southern end of the watershed, the Romaine Sud-Est and Abbé-Huard rivers in

1008-413: Is often seen by Quebecers as a national success story and a source of pride. This could explain why various privatization proposals in the past have received little public attention. The liberal government has repeatedly stated that Hydro-Québec is not for sale. Like many other economists, Yvan Allaire, from Montreal's Hautes études commerciales business school, advocate increased electricity rates as

1080-613: Is one of these. The heir to the Couture wheel motor is now marketed by TM4 Electrodynamic Systems , a spin-off established in 1998 that has made deals with France's Dassault and Heuliez to develop an electric car, the Cleanova , of which prototypes were built in 2006. Hydro-Québec announced in early 2009 at the Montreal International Auto Show that its engine had been chosen by Tata Motors to equip

1152-400: Is seat is Havre-Saint-Pierre . It has an area of 63,731.31 square kilometres (24,606.80 sq mi) according to Quebec's Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire (which includes coastal, lake, and river water territory), or a land area of 53,340.31 square kilometres (20,594.81 sq mi) according to Statistics Canada . Its population in

1224-510: The 2008 election campaign . A Léger Marketing poll conducted in November 2008 found that a majority of Quebec respondents (53%) were opposed to his proposal to sell 7.5% of the company's equity to Quebec citizens and businesses, while 38% were in favour. Commenting on the issue on Guy A. Lepage 's talk show , former PQ Premier Jacques Parizeau estimated that such an idea would be quite unpopular in public opinion, adding that Hydro-Québec

1296-477: The 2021 Canadian census was 6,467. The majority live in Havre-Saint-Pierre. Minganie and the neighbouring Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality are grouped into the single census division of Minganie—Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent (known as Minganie–Basse-Côte-Nord before 2010). The combined population at the 2021 Canadian census was 9,849. Until 2002, Minganie RCM encompassed

1368-858: The Agreement Respecting a New Relationship Between the Cree Nation and the Government of Quebec between the Grand Council of the Crees and the Quebec government made possible the development of the Eastmain Reservoir . The Eastmain-1-A and Sarcelle powerhouses and Rupert River diversion project were completed for $ 5,000 million CAD. This will provide water power to the turbines at Eastmain-1 , Eastmain-1-A and Sarcelle powerhouses and will provide increased flow at

1440-571: The Eastern Interconnection . Although Quebec uses the same 60 hertz frequency as the rest of North America, its grid does not use the same phase as surrounding networks. TransÉnergie mainly relies on back to back HVDC converters to export or import electricity from other jurisdictions. This feature of the Quebec network allowed Hydro-Québec to remain unscathed during the Northeast Blackout of August 14, 2003 , with

1512-541: The James Bay Project . Today, with 63 hydroelectric power stations , the combined output capacity is 37,370 megawatts. Extra power is exported from the province and Hydro-Québec supplies 10 per cent of New England 's power requirements. The company logo, a stylized "Q" fashioned out of a circle and a lightning bolt, was designed by Montreal -based design agency Gagnon/Valkus in 1960. In 2018, it paid CA$ 2.39 billion in dividends to its sole shareholder ,

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1584-539: The Montreal area. Major projects included: Between 1944 and 1962, Hydro-Québec's installed capacity increased from 616 to 3,661 MW while lowering residential power rates by half in the Montreal area. Duplessis's conservative reign, now known as the Grande Noirceur , ended when he died in office in 1959. The subsequent election of the Quebec Liberal Party , led by Jean Lesage , marked

1656-695: The Québec interconnection of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation system, and is part of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council (NPCC). TransÉnergie manages the flow of energy on the Quebec network and ensures non-discriminatory access to all participants involved in the wholesale market. The non-discriminatory access policy allows a company such as Nalcor to sell some of its share of power from Churchill Falls on

1728-424: The boundary between Quebec and Labrador . Then it flows in a mostly southerly direction until a dozen miles from the coast where it takes a sharp turn to the west, flowing through a series of swampy waterlogged small lakes. The Romaine River flows into Jacques Cartier Strait , part of Gulf of St. Lawrence , west of Havre-Saint-Pierre and Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve . The name Romaine , in use since

1800-473: The conservative think tank The Montreal Economic Institute —have often raised the issue, claiming that the company could be better managed by the private sector and that the proceeds from a sale would lower public debt . Without going as far as Boyer and Garcia, Mario Dumont , the head of the Action démocratique du Québec , briefly discussed the possibility of selling a minority stake of Hydro-Québec during

1872-524: The generation , transmission , distribution and construction. In 2017, production division generated 1.9B $ of net income (68.4%), transmission division 0.55B$ (19.4%), distribution division 0.33B $ (11.7%), and construction division did not generate any income. Hydro-Quebec redistributes all profits back to the government. In 2017, the crown corporation contributed $ 4 billion to the Quebec government by means of net income ($ 2.8B), royalties ($ 0.7B), public utilities tax ($ 0.3B) and debt securities ($ 0.2B). In

1944-400: The 165-TWh heritage pool provided by Hydro-Québec Production at 2.79¢/ kWh . The division usually purchases additional power by entering into long-term contracts after a public call for tenders. For shorter term needs, it also buys power from the neighboring systems at market prices. As a last resort, Hydro-Québec Production can also provide short-term relief. Supply contracts above and beyond

2016-507: The 46 rural coops accepted Hydro-Québec's 1963 buyout offer, except Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Rouville which still exists. In 1964, the Province of British Columbia provided the Province of Quebec with a $ 100 million loan. $ 60 million from that loan went to Hydro-Québec. The loan faced controversy in the Quebec legislature. Major projects during this period included: Because of the economic climate, demand for electricity dropped significantly in

2088-675: The Boston area. Phase II of the James Bay Project started in 1987 and took nine years to complete. Construction of the Denis-Perron Dam began in 1994. Like its counterparts in the North American utility industry, Hydro-Québec was reorganized in the late 1990s to comply with electricity deregulation in the United States. The transmission division, TransÉnergie , was the first to be spun off in 1997, in response to

2160-517: The Côte-Nord region is part of the network of the 33 000 km of trails of The Federation of Snowmobile Clubs of Quebec and La Minganie Snowmobile Club, based in Les Escoumins, offer detailed interactive maps on the different circuits and their points of services. There are a number of large rivers that flow in a generally north–south direction through Minganie to enter the Gulf. Near the coast

2232-513: The Government of Quebec. Its residential power rates are among the lowest in North America. In Quebec , advocates for the creation of a public hydroelectric utility protested against high costs, poor rural electrification , and the lack of French speakers in management positions in hydroelectricity companies. In 1944, Montreal Light, Heat & Power company was nationalised, along with its subsidiary, Beauharnois Power, and Hydro-Québec

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2304-549: The Minganie are dedicated specifically to the protection and maintenance of heritages. There are 9 subdivisions and 2 native reserves within the RCM: Until the arrival of The Whale Route (Route 138) in 1976 and 1996, the only regular means of access to the area was the boat service maintained during the navigation season by Clarke Steamship Company, Ltd. The regularity of the service becomes more and more uncertain from

2376-486: The Minganie. The entirely calcareous nature of the horizontal stratified rocks, which make up the Anticosti - Minganie, exerts a profound influence on the structure of the flora and on the choice of species. Remarkable for its richness, the flora includes 350 vascular plants including the presence of two rare taxa: Cirsium foliosum var. Minganense and Cypripedium passerinum var. Minganense. Sixty species are new to

2448-542: The Romaine Complex project, consisting of 6 detailed maps: The Romaine River is being developed by Hydro-Québec for hydro-electric power generation. Construction started in 2009 on a new hydroelectric plant, along with four rock-filled dams and a 150 kilometres (93 mi) long access road, that will take 11 years to build at an estimated cost of C$ 6.5 billion. Called "the biggest construction project in Canada",

2520-448: The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 's publication of Order 888. In the same year, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Hydro-Québec a licence to sell wholesale electricity at market prices, enabling Hydro-Québec to expand its market. Hydro-Québec also acquired a substantial share of Noverco , controller of natural gas distributor Gaz Métro , to participate in that market in northeastern North America. In 2002

2592-475: The United States. TransÉnergie's high voltage network stretches over 33,630 km (20,900 mi), including 11,422 km (7,097 mi) of 765 and 735 kV lines , and a network of 514 substations. It is connected to neighbouring Canadian provinces and the United States by 17 ties, with a maximum reception capacity of 10,850 MW and a maximum transmission capacity of 7,994 MW. The TransÉnergie's network operates asynchronously from that of its neighbours on

2664-414: The basin is in Labrador north of the provincial boundary. In Quebec the basin includes parts of the unorganized territory of Lac-Jérôme and the municipality of Havre-Saint-Pierre . The Mine du lac Tio , an iron and titanium mine, is in the river basin. It also includes the proposed Buttes du Lac aux Sauterelles biodiversity reserve (Katnukamat Biodiversity Reserve). Réserve de biodiversité Katnukamat

2736-745: The beginning of the Quiet Revolution , a period of reform and modernization. In 1962, the US government lent Quebec $ 300 million. The funds were used to acquire independent power companies. The new government gave Hydro-Québec an exclusive mandate to develop new sites. In 1963 the government authorized it to acquire private electricity distributors, including the Gatineau Power Company and the Shawinigan Water & Power Company Hydro-Québec achieved province-wide scope. All of

2808-464: The bulk of electricity generated and sold by the company. Non-hydro plants included the baseload 675-MW gross Gentilly nuclear generating station , a CANDU-design reactor which was permanently shut down on December 28, 2012 the 660-MW Tracy Thermal Generating Station , a heavy fuel oil-fired plant shutdown in March 2011 and two gas turbine peaker plants , for a total installed capacity of 36,971 MW in 2011. Hydro-Québec's average generation cost

2880-548: The company plans to build a new 1200-MW direct current link between the Des Cantons substation at Windsor, Quebec in Quebec's Eastern Townships and Deerfield, New Hampshire , with an HVDC converter terminal built at Franklin, New Hampshire . The US segment of the US$ 1.1 billion line, would be built by Northern Pass Transmission LLC , a partnership between Northeast Utilities (75%) and NSTAR (25%). In order to go ahead,

2952-403: The development of our natural resources with the complicity of local vultures". Left-wing academics, such as UQAM 's Léo-Paul Lauzon and Gabriel Sainte-Marie, have claimed that privatization would be done at the expense of residential customers, who would pay much higher rates. They say that privatization would also be a betrayal of the social pact between the people and its government, and that

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3024-412: The early 1980s, which led to structural changes at Hydro-Québec. It became a joint stock company whose sole shareholder is Government of Québec , to which it pays an annual dividend. It was also given the mandate to export power and to work in any energy-related field. In 1986 the Quebec – New England Transmission began bringing power from the James Bay Project 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) south to

3096-455: The effects of the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles on the power grid . Projects focus on technologies to increase range , improve performance in cold weather and reduce charging time . Hydro-Québec has been criticized for not having taken advantage of some of its innovations. An electric wheel motor concept that struck a chord with Quebecers, first prototyped in 1994 by Pierre Couture, an engineer and physicist working at IREQ,

3168-464: The end of the 19th century, is a French adaptation of a word from a First Nations language, Ouraman or Ulaman , as noted by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin in 1685, while Jacques-Nicolas Bellin wrote Ramane on his map of 1744. It comes from unaman , meaning "vermilion" or " red ochre ". Deposits of this material are found on the banks of the Olomane River. The Romaine River is fed by

3240-644: The enormous value of the Mingan Archipelago. Since then, other scientists have added to the ecology and phytogeography knowledge of this sector. The vegetation of the Mingan Islands belongs to the Chibougamau-Natashquan boreal forest region, which is dominated by Black spruce . The high latitude and low altitude, combined with the proximity of the cold currents of Labrador , explain the subarctic vegetation specific to

3312-659: The entire lower north shore right up to Blanc-Sablon . In 2002, it lost all the coastal communities east of the Natashquan River when the Basse-Côte-Nord Territory was formed. In July 2010, the RCM lost another 44% of its territory when the (uninhabited) Petit-Mécatina unorganized territory was transferred to the newly created Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality , which superseded Basse-Côte-Nord. Several portions of territory on

3384-715: The exception of 5 hydro plants on the Ottawa River radially connected to the Ontario grid at the time. A new 1250-MW back to back HVDC tie has been commissioned at the Outaouais substation, in L'Ange-Gardien , near the Ontario border. The new interconnection has been online since 2009 and the 315 kV line is fully operational since 2010. One drawback of the TransÉnergie network involves the long distances separating

3456-528: The existing La Grande-1 generating station as well as Robert-Bourassa and the La Grande-2-A generator stations. Output will be 918 MW. Other stations commissioned since 1997 are: In 1988, all of Quebec and parts of New England and New Brunswick lost power because of an equipment failure at a substation on the North Shore . The March 1989 geomagnetic storm tripped circuit breakers on

3528-474: The export of power to portions of the Northeast United States . More than 40 percent of Canada ’s water resources are in Quebec and Hydro-Québec is the fourth largest hydropower producer in the world. It was established as a Crown corporation by the government of Quebec in 1944 from the expropriation of private firms. This was followed by massive investment in hydro-electric projects like

3600-638: The generation sites and the main consumer markets. For instance, the Radisson substation links the James Bay project plants to the Nicolet station near Sainte-Eulalie , south of the Saint Lawrence, over 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) away. In 2011, TransÉnergie invested C$ 1.3 billion in capital expenditures, including C$ 460 million to expand its network. In addition to the new tie with Ontario,

3672-520: The heritage pool must be approved by the Régie de l'énergie du Québec and their costs are passed on to customers. The division signed one natural gas cogeneration agreement for 507 MW in 2003, three forest biomass deals (47.5 MW) in 2004 and 2005, and ten contracts for wind power (2,994 MW) in 2005 and 2008, all with private sector producers. It also signed two flexible contracts with Hydro-Québec Production (600 MW) in 2002. Hydro-Québec Distribution

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3744-465: The importance of the work planned for the development of the Complexe de la Romaine. Numerous consultations with the public as well as various discussions with the community and local authorities made it possible to disclose the major environmental issues of the project, namely: In December 2007, Hydro-Québec's Geomatics Department published an information document intended for the public concerned by

3816-749: The least populated, the regional county municipality of Minganie extends from Labrador to the middle of the Honguedo Strait in the St. Lawrence River and includes the hinterland of Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent RCM and Anticosti Island . Construction workers , transport workers , miners , fishermen and trappers are also found there in larger proportions than in Quebec in general. The origins of Minganie's population can be traced to Innu , Acadian and Gaspesians pioneers and its new residents who arrived via Route 138 (The Whale Route - Route Jacques-Cartier) , opened in 1976. The RCM administration

3888-497: The list of Minganie harvests compiled by Marie-Victorin and Rolland-Germain (1969). There were also 150 bryophytes and 152 lichens , 29 of which were additions to the Nouveau Catalogue des lichens, published by Lepage (1972). Overwiew of the diversity During the summers of 1964 and 1965, during geological research, Jean Depatie with a team of geologists and students, assisted by 3 canoemen and lumberjacks , plus

3960-422: The markets account for most of these emissions. Hydro-Québec's expertise at building and operating a very high voltage electrical grid spreading over long distances has long been recognized in the electrical industry. TransÉnergie, Hydro-Québec's transmission division, operates the largest electricity transmission network in North America. It acts as the independent system operator and reliability coordinator for

4032-439: The month of September, depending on the date of the arrival of winter with its snow, ice, storms and fog. However, it is possible to reach the area by chartering seaplanes that can easily land under favourable atmospheric conditions in many deep bays and on windward waters sheltered by islands. Highways and numbered routes that run through the RCM, including external routes that start or finish on its borders. In 2024,

4104-606: The open market in the State of New York using TransÉnergie's network, upon payment of a transmission fee. In recent years, TransÉnergie's Contrôle des mouvements d'énergie (CMÉ) unit has been acting as the reliability coordinator of the bulk electricity network for Quebec as a whole, under a bilateral agreement between the Régie de l'énergie du Québec and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of

4176-460: The project must receive regulatory approval in Quebec and the United States. The proposed transmission line could be in operation in 2015. According to Jim Robb, a senior executive from Northeast Utilities, New England could meet one third of its Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative commitments with the hydropower coming through this new power line alone. Hydro-Québec Distribution is in charge of retail sales to most customers in Quebec. It operates

4248-439: The project will employ an estimated 2000 people between 2012 and 2016, and create some C$ 3.5 billion in economic spinoffs. The final project will include four new power plants with a total installed capacity of more than 1550 MW and an average annual production of 8.0 TWh . This project is controversial however, as the cost of electricity production may be higher than the price at which the electricity will be sold, as shown in

4320-584: The province would be short-selling itself by divesting of a choice asset for a minimal short term gain. Hydro-Québec sources of energy supply (2013) On December 31, 2013, Hydro-Québec Production owned and operated 61 hydro plants —including 12 of over 1,000 MW capacity — with 26 major reservoirs. These facilities are located in 13 of Quebec's 430 watersheds , including the Saint Lawrence , Betsiamites , La Grande , Manicouagan , Ottawa , Outardes , and Saint-Maurice rivers. These plants provide

4392-571: The research centre is located in Varennes , a suburb on the South Shore of Montreal . IREQ operates on an annual research budget of approximately C$ 100 million and specializes in the areas of high voltage, mechanics and thermomechanics, network simulations and calibration. Research conducted by scientists and engineers at IREQ has helped to extend the life of dams, improve water turbine performance, automate network management and increase

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4464-401: The river basins tend to narrow in towards the river mouth, and between their mouths are areas that drain into the Gulf through smaller streams. From west to east, the larger river basins, which may cover parts of Labrador , Sept-Rivières or Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent , are: With the exception of a few enclaves, the ecological region of Minganie is mainly covered by large Spruce forests and

4536-449: The river's entire length), Lake trout (in most lakes), and Landlocked salmon (upstream of Grande Chute). Minganie Regional County Municipality Minganie is a regional county municipality on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence , in Côte-Nord region, Quebec , Canada , its territory includes Anticosti Island . Both the largest (128,473 km²) and the penultimate of

4608-848: The southeast, the Garneau river in the center-east, the Touladis river in the center- west, the Sauterelles River to the northwest, the Sénécal River and its network of lakes to the northeast and the Natuaiahu Creek at the northern end. In September 2007, a study of 490 pages conducted by Hydro-Québec , submitted to the Minister of Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change highlighted

4680-437: The terms of the social pact of 1944. The government issued itself 43,741,090 shares worth C$ 100 each, and the amended statute stated that Hydro-Québec would now pay up to 75% of its net earnings in dividends. This amendment to the Hydro-Québec Act started an episodic debate on whether Hydro-Québec should be fully or partially privatized. In recent years, economist Marcel Boyer and businessman Claude Garcia—both associated with

4752-578: The transmission capacity of high voltage power lines. Another research centre, the Laboratoire des technologies de l'énergie (LTE) in Shawinigan, was opened in 1988 to adapt and develop new products while helping industrial customers improve their energy efficiency . In the last 20 years, the institute has also conducted research and development work towards the electrification of ground transportation . Current projects include battery materials, including innovative work on lithium iron phosphate and nano-titanate, improved electric drive trains and

4824-453: The transmission network causing a nine-hour Quebec-wide blackout. In the North American ice storm of 1998 , five days of freezing rain collapsed 600 kilometres (370 mi) of high voltage power lines and over 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) of medium and low voltage distribution lines in southern Quebec. Up to 1.4 million customers were without power for up to five weeks. Hydro-Québec has created separate business units dealing with

4896-402: The watersheds of the rivers, Petit Mécatina , Natashquan , Aguanish , Nabisipi , Watshishou , Quetachou , from the Crow and the Bear (Rivières de la Corneille et à l'Ours French). The Romaine River basin covers 14,500 square kilometres (5,600 sq mi). It lies between the basins of the Mingan River to the west and the Rivière à l'Ours (Bear river) to the east. About 15.5% of

4968-450: The year 2000 with the adoption of Bill 116, which amended the Act respecting the Régie de l'énergie , to enact the functional separation of Hydro-Québec's various business units. Legislation passed in 2000 commits the generation division, Hydro-Québec Production, to provide the distribution division, Hydro-Québec Distribution, a yearly heritage pool of up to 165 TWh of energy plus ancillary services—including an extra 13.9 TWh for losses and

5040-570: Was 2.11 cents per kWh in 2011. The company also purchases the bulk of the output of the 5,428-MW Churchill Falls generating station in Labrador, under a long-term contract expiring in 2041. In 2009, Hydro-Québec bought the 60% stake owned by AbitibiBowater in the McCormick plant (335 MW), located at the mouth of the Manicouagan River near Baie-Comeau , for C$ 616 million. In 2013, the energy sold by Hydro-Québec to its grid-connected customers in Quebec and exported to neighboring markets came almost exclusively from renewable sources. Hydro (96.78%)

5112-515: Was created to manage the companies. Quebec Premier Adélard Godbout adopted a policy of investing 10 million dollars per year in rural electrification. However, in 1944 the government changed, and the new premier Maurice Duplessis was opposed to any form of government intervention in the economy. Local cooperatives were created to bring power to rural areas. Duplessis remained in power until 1960, and during that time there were no further nationalisations of companies, and Hydro-Québec mostly served

5184-608: Was installed in 2013. As of 2019, The Electric Circuit offers 2,389 public charging stations in Quebec and eastern Ontario . Usage is also compatible with the FLO and New Brunswick E-charge network adaptors. Hydro-Québec has made significant investments in research and development over the past 40 years. In addition to funding university research, the company is the only electric utility in North America to operate its own large-scale research institute, L' Institut de recherche d'Hydro-Québec (IREQ). Established by Lionel Boulet in 1967,

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