Premier François Legault Directs $300 Million for Hydro-Québec Gaspésie Wind Power Transmission

GASPÉ, Que. — Quebec Premier François Legault and Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon announced on Monday a $300 million provincial capital investment through Hydro-Québec to engineer and construct 180 kilometers of 315-kilovolt high-voltage transmission lines and two new electrical substations across the Gaspésie and Bas-Saint-Laurent regions.

The transmission project, executed in 50-50 equity partnership with the Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat and local regional county municipalities (MRCs), unlocks transmission capacity for 1,200 megawatts of newly contracted community wind power projects supplying clean electricity to Hydro-Québec's provincial grid.

Powering Quebec's Industrial Decarbonization with Wind Energy Hydro-Québec's Action Plan 2035 requires adding more than 10,000 megawatts of new renewable wind power to meet surging electricity demand from industrial battery gigafactories, green hydrogen producers, and electric vehicle adoption.

"Quebec has a tremendous natural advantage with our clean water and powerful ocean winds, and we are expanding our electricity grid to power our economic growth," Premier François Legault said in Gaspé. "The Gaspé Peninsula is the wind energy champion of North America. This $300 million transmission investment will transport 1,200 megawatts of clean wind power to our industrial centers, generate tens of millions in annual royalties for local municipalities and First Nations, and create hundreds of good jobs for regional workers."

Transmission Project Features and First Nations Equity The $300 million capital allocation finances:

• 180-Kilometer 315-kV Transmission Corridor: Constructing heavy-ice-resistant steel transmission towers engineered for coastal marine storms.
• New Substation Facilities: Constructing the Saint-Alphonse and Murdochville electrical transformer substations.
• Mi'gmaq & Municipal Equity Royalties: Ensuring that 50 percent of net transmission revenues flow directly to local Mi'gmaq communities and regional county governments.

Regional mayors, Mi'gmaq grand chiefs, and renewable energy developers commended the partnership, highlighting that regional community equity ensures lasting local prosperity from renewable energy development.