Québec Running Out of Electricity: When Canada’s “Green Battery” Runs Empty

Québec’s energy situation is heading for uncharted and potentially turbulent waters. Once considered electricity-rich, the province now finds itself short on supply. For several months, Québec has been importing nearly as much electricity as it exports, an alarming reversal of its historic trends. In the first 11 months of 2024, Hydro-Québec imported almost 3.5 TWh of electricity from the United States, five times more than during the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, exports collapsed, reaching only 5.1 TWh, which is less than half of the previous year’s total.

This dramatic reversal of energy flows comes at a steep cost. Hydro-Québec must purchase electricity at high international rates, cutting into its margins and reducing net revenues. Long-term export contracts with the United States already tie up much of Québec’s available supply, limiting the “free” energy that could otherwise be used domestically by the province and its industries. For example, Hydro-Québec is committed to delivering 9.5 TWh to Boston over 20 years and 10 TWh to New York over 25 years, which together represent several percent of its annual production.

The most pressing challenge, however, lies in the state of reservoirs and dams. The largest reservoir, Caniapiscau, dropped to a historic low of 34 percent capacity before recovering to 43 percent—itself a critical threshold not seen in over 15 years. When reservoirs are low, more water is required to produce the same amount of power, which further accelerates depletion. Hydro-Québec reports that other major reservoirs, such as La Grande-4, Laforge-1, and Robert-Bourassa, are at 96, 68, and 77 percent capacity respectively, but these levels appear insufficient to offset the sharp decline in central reservoirs.

This scarcity raises serious questions about Québec’s ability to allocate new industrial energy blocks. The “available potential” is now limited, given the strain on hydro reserves and export commitments. This means that in the short and medium term, Québec will not be able to rely solely on hydroelectricity.

Now more than ever, the province must diversify its energy sources. Among the available options, the simplest, most efficient, and potentially most profitable is natural gas production—a resource that lies beneath our feet. Rather than buying “renewable gas” from Tennessee or importing gas from Western Canada, producing locally would allow Québec to retain control, lower transportation costs and external dependencies, and generate direct economic benefits for the province’s industries and citizens.

In summary, Québec’s current electricity shortage, combined with dangerously low reservoir levels and heavy export obligations, demands a renewed energy strategy. The time has come to rebalance the provincial energy model, responsibly develop local natural gas resources, and build true energy sovereignty for Québec.