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With our hydroelectric power, you’d think that Quebec would be immune to the problems that other countries or other Canadian provinces are facing with their energy transition. In reality, hydroelectricity only accounts for a third of the energy we consume in Quebec. The majority is from fossil fuels.
At a time when Quebec needs to rapidly decarbonize its economy to mitigate the climate crisis, we’re facing some serious issues. Energy consumption by Quebec industries and communities is already very high, it’s on the rise, and our current supply is not sufficient to meet the demand.
How is energy used in Quebec?
Only a third of our energy is consumed directly by Quebec households (mainly for lighting, heating, air conditioning and transportation). But not all Quebec households consume energy equally. The higher the family income, the greater the energy consumption. In 2019, a family with income of over $150,000 consumed nearly double the amount on average than households earning less than $40,000 did.
Two thirds of Quebec’s energy is used by industry. The aluminum sector is by far the largest consumer, followed by pulp and paper, chemicals and manufacturing.
The largest energy challenges facing Quebec
1. Ever-growing energy consumption.
Quebec has one of the world’s largest per capita consumption of energy. It’s nearly four times the world average!
Nevertheless, Hydro-Québec expects energy demand to grow by a further 40% in the next 10 years because of the demand that will be created by transportation electrification and by new energy-intensive systems like “green” hydrogen production, the battery industry and data centres. To meet this growing demand, between 150 and 200 additional TWh of electricity will be needed, which is more than two times Hydro-Quebec’s current capacity.
Our population is growing, so isn’t it normal that our energy consumption is growing too? Not entirely. Over the past decade, our energy consumption has increased at a faster rate than population growth. The number of cars and the size of our homes have continued to increase, so we have needed more energy to build them, heat them and make them run.
The transportation sector is particularly problematic. The number of vehicles has increased twice as fast as the population. What’s more, we have gone from smaller, less energy-consuming vehicles to larger, more gas-guzzling ones that require more resources to build. In 2022, 70% of the vehicles on the market were SUVs and light-duty trucks, versus 24% in 1990. In short, these new auto market trends have driven our energy consumption way up.
2. Half of the energy we consume comes from fossil fuels and we no longer have enough renewable energy.
Renewables, such as hydroelectric power, make up less than half of Quebec’s energy consumption. The remaining 53% comes from fossil fuels imported from Western Canada and the United States, primarily in the form of natural gas and oil.
In order to mitigate the climate crisis by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by fossil fuels, Quebec must transition toward a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
What’s the energy transition?
The energy transition is the energy sector’s shift from the production and consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) towards renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro). This transition helps to reduce the GHG emissions responsible for the climate crisis and therefore mitigate health problems like respiratory illnesses and certain cancers that are linked to GHG emissions.
Unfortunately, Hydro-Québec’s surpluses are coming to an end. To be able to have a greater proportion of hydro power consumption versus fossil fuels, we would have to increase renewable energy production, which means building more dams and new wind and solar farms. This would cost a great deal of money and have a significant impact on our land. The other solution, however, which could avoid these impacts, is focusing more on energy efficiency and energy sobriety, thus saving energy and reducing the demand.
3. The government wants to use our energy to encourage economic development.
Instead of having a vision to reduce energy consumption, the government is opting for an energy transition that will drive up energy demand and production.
Its recent Bill 69, an Act to ensure the responsible governance of energy resources and to amend various legislative provisions, aimed at modernizing the energy sector to help Quebec meet its energy challenges, reinforces its vision.
Through the legislation, the Legault government seeks to increase renewable energy production and facilitate distribution of fossil fuels such as natural gas to promote economic development projects and attract businesses to the province.
But the increase in energy production comes with a cost: a potentiel rise in hydro rates because of the need to build new infrastructure and modernize existing ones to meet the need for higher power capacity. These costs will be borne in part by consumers - which is not easy at a time when between 9 and 16% of Quebec households are facing energy poverty, meaning they lack access to basic services like heating or lighting.
In the midst of a socio-ecological crisis, our energy future cannot be dictated solely by economic development.
Solutions for tackling these challenges are within our grasp
Quebec’s energy consumption must evolve in response to the challenges posed by overconsumption and our dependence on fossil fuels. In the face of the climate emergency, it is essential that we adopt a collective approach towards energy sobriety - consuming better and less.
The good news is that several solutions are already in place, such as active and public transportation as well as car sharing. These are important tools for reducing our dependence on personal automobiles, which are consuming more and more energy.
Energy efficiency is also a key solution for meeting these challenges. By renovating buildings, building new energy efficient infrastructure and optimizing insulation and heating systems, we can lower energy consumption and avoid energy waste.
Instead of spending enormous amounts of money on increasing energy output, the government should prioritize the development and funding of sustainable mobility initiatives, urban planning, the circular economy and a greener, more local food system. These are concrete solutions to the energy issues that we are currently facing.
