Hydro-Québec warns of power deficits as early as 2029

Hydro-Québec says it may have to import electricity from neighbouring provinces or the United States within three years, according to a new supply plan released Nov. 3.

The state-owned utility’s plan for 2027 to 2041 projects an “extremely high” rise in demand and says energy deficits could begin as early as 2029, The Canadian Press reported. Hydro-Québec expects Quebec’s demand to grow by 60 terawatt-hours by 2041, an increase of more than 30 per cent. It points to the electrification of transportation, data centres and the conversion of buildings that now burn fossil fuels.

“We need the new generation assets to come online, because if we’re not able to build new generation capacity, demand will rise and production won’t keep up,” Dave Rhéaume, the utility’s executive vice-president for energy strategy, said in an interview with The Canadian Press (translated from French).

Rhéaume said the scenario assumes normal conditions. Three years of exceptionally dry weather are already forcing the utility to manage its reservoirs cautiously.

To close the gap, Hydro-Québec plans to add 24,000 megawatts of generation capacity by 2041. It also aims for energy savings of 21 terawatt-hours by 2035.

The utility is not planning to turn to nuclear power for now, but Rhéaume said it is keeping the option open over the long term. “We don’t need to be the first to stumble with a new technology,” he said (translated from French). He said the utility will watch what new reactors cost and how they perform.

Ottawa announced in June that it intends to build up to 10 new nuclear reactors over the next 15 years. Canada has four nuclear plants, three in Ontario and one in New Brunswick, which generate about 15 per cent of the country’s electricity. No plant has been built in Canada since the early 1990s.

Demand for power is rising elsewhere too. Statistics Canada reported earlier that factories used 3.2 per cent less energy in 2025, a reminder that industrial use does not move in one direction across the country.

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