One thousand additional megawatts for the Eastern Energy Alliance

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

KAMOURASKA – After several months of discussions, the Eastern Energy Alliance and Hydro-Québec have entered into a partnership to develop 1,000 megawatts of wind energy in Kamouraska and Témiscouata, in the western Bas-Saint-Laurent region. 

The area covered spans 700 square kilometres and is located in the Kamouraska and Témiscouata MRCs. The project is expected to require an estimated investment of $3 billion, as announced in Kamouraska on October 16 alongside Hydro-Québec executives. 

“This is excellent news. The Eastern Energy Alliance is pleased with the agreement finally signed this morning in Kamouraska,” says the alliance’s vice-president and mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. 

The alliance has always worked with private partners. However, the operational details with Hydro-Québec are yet to be determined following the signing. 

“We have some questions. What was important at the outset was to tie up the strings of the public partners. Now, there will be discussions with the various partners in the community who may want to help us. There will be upcoming discussion tables between Hydro (Quebec) and the alliance. At the moment, we don’t have this information,” says Mr. Deschênes. 

Consultations will be held very quickly with the affected communities. 

“We must take into account all stakeholders, environmental groups, citizens, land users, First Nations. It was important to make a joint announcement by the public partners. Studies for a series of consultations will be underway by 2026,” says Mr. Deschênes, who is keen to obtain social acceptability. 

With the various parks obtained in the latest public calls for tenders, the alliance will coordinate deliveries in the coming years to achieve its objectives. The execution schedule will also be determined. 

“But, at the same time, finally, we obtain predictability that our companies did not have before. It is the responsibility of our companies to rehire. I take Marmen as an example, with the reopening of the Matane plant in September. We see that the first player is positioning itself. I think it will be up to the companies to position themselves,” invites the vice-president. 

Hydro-Québec announced last summer an initial 3,000 megawatts in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. With the agreement with the Eastern Energy Alliance, the signed total now amounts to 4,000 megawatts. 

The public corporation has 10,000 megawatts in its pipeline to order and install by 2035, which means that additional agreements will be needed to cover the remaining 6,000 megawatts. 

The alliance is positioning itself for future opportunities. 

“There aren’t necessarily any concrete discussions, but we know that Hydro-Québec wants to roll out cable to connect the Gaspé Peninsula. The reason is very simple: we know that there are wind deposits with strong potential in the Eastern Energy Alliance territory. It’s almost obvious that we’re going to have other projects, perhaps through calls for tenders, but at this point, nothing has been decided,” Mr. Deschênes says. 

Potential locations have already been identified. 

“It is certain that the alliance territory has a strong potential of approximately 8,000 megawatts. There is still room (for growth). That will be seen in the coming months and years,” says the vice-president. 

The Eastern Energy Alliance brings together 209 communities, extending from the MRC of Montmagny to the Magdalen Islands, including the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation of the Lower St. Lawrence. 

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