2023-11-20 20:30:00
Companies that will produce their own electricity might be more and more numerous, if we trust Pierre Fitzgibbon.
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The green hydrogen megaproject of the TES company in Shawinigan, where a large company produces its own electricity, might be the first in a series, if we rely on the words of Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.
According to an email first obtained by Radio-Canada and then by The newspaperPierre Fitzgibbon affirms that the TES project “is only the beginning”.
Remember that Hydro-Québec will allocate a block of 150 megawatts (MW) of electricity to this project, and that TES will also self-produce its own electricity, i.e. 800 MW with a wind farm and 200 MW using solar energy.
A breach in the monopoly?
Environmental groups, such as Greenpeace and the Regroupement des organisms Environnementales en Énergie, are concerned regarding Hydro-Québec’s monopoly and believe that the TES project does not comply with legislation, in particular because it will be carried out in a territory where Hydro-Québec has exclusive distribution rights.
However, during the announcement, Minister Fitzgibbon mentioned that Hydro-Québec’s legislative framework allows “self-production on the site where a company can have its wind turbines [ou] its solar, which are connected directly to the factory”, adding that the TES project is “perfectly in line with current regulations.”
A necessary contribution
Other experts see it as an interesting solution to meet the province’s electricity needs.
“As Hydro-Québec lacks capacity to meet the demand for economic development projects, it is normal for entrepreneurs to find other solutions,” explains Gabriel Giguère, public policy analyst at the Montreal Economic Institute (IEDM) .
“We must recognize that Hydro-Québec’s capacity is becoming an obstacle to our development, and that independent electricity production is becoming more and more necessary,” he adds.
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