Hydro-Québec presents the thirteenth edition of its Sustainability Report

Hydro-Québec is proud to present its Sustainability Report 2014, which describes the utility’s performance with respect to its main environmental, social, economic and governance issues. The report was produced based on the Global Reporting Initiative’s international G4 guidelines and reflects the information needs of our readers, who were consulted on this topic.

“Hydro-Québec’s vision of sustainability goes well beyond strictly environmental matters. All our decisions demonstrate our desire to sustainably meet the electricity needs of the public. Our projects must be favorably received by local communities while also representing an excellent environmental and economic option,” said Stella Leney, Senior Director – Environment and Corporate Affairs at Hydro-Québec.

Some 2014 highlights

Helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
With hydropower accounting for almost all of Hydro-Québec’s output, the company produces very low levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the most recent data, the electricity sector is responsible for 12.1% of Canada’s GHG emissions. In Québec, the electricity sector represents barely 0.4% of the province’s emissions, given its abundant water resources.

Year after year, Hydro-Québec both plays a key role in the province’s economy and enables Québec to post one of the lowest greenhouse gas emission rates per capita in North America. Meanwhile, the company’s net electricity exports in 2014 helped avoid close to 6.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of the annual emissions from 1.6 million vehicles.

The 8-TWh target set in the company’s Energy Efficiency Plan was reached, and even surpassed, a year ahead of schedule, for a cumulative total of 8.2 TWh in energy savings compared with 2003 consumption.

Romaine complex
The development of the Romaine complex continued. Romaine-2 generating station was commissioned, boosting Hydro-Québec’s capacity by 640 MW while stimulating the regional economy.

Once completed in 2020, this development project will have generated economic spinoffs of $3.5 billion for Québec as a whole, with $1.3 billion in the Côte-Nord region. The operation of the complex will also create some 100 new jobs in Minganie. In 2015, ReNew Canada magazine ranked the Romaine complex as the third-biggest infrastructure project under way in Canada.

Rollout of the advanced metering infrastructure
At the customer service level, the rollout of Hydro-Québec’s advanced metering infrastructure progressed at a steady pace, and should be finalized by the end of 2016. From a sustainability standpoint, next-generation meters and remote readings allow the company to take numerous vehicles used for meter reading off the road, eliminating several hundred tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Technological innovation
Hydro-Québec’s research institute, IREQ, a world leader in innovation in the fields of power generation, transmission and distribution, is allocated some $100 million dollars per year to carry out research and innovation projects for Hydro-Québec.

IREQ’s work focuses on power system reliability and long-term operability, energy efficiency, transportation electrification, the environment and emerging renewables. In terms of transportation electrification, IREQ specializes in state-of-the-art battery materials and energy storage and conversion.

With 358 charging stations, including 8 quick-charge stations (400 V), installed in 15 of Québec’s 17 administrative regions, the Electric Circuit is the first public charging network in Canada. It is made up of 92 participating companies, institutions and municipalities who have purchased and installed charging stations.

Contribution to the economy
Hydro-Québec’s investments, procurement and the dividends it pays to the Québec government make it a major driving force in the economy. Every year, the spinoffs from its operations generate billions of dollars and thousands of jobs, contributing to the economic vitality of many regions of the province. The company’s share of the Québec economy is around 4% of the gross domestic product.

In 2014, Hydro-Québec’s contribution to Québec’s economy totaled $6.6 billion. In addition to a peak dividend of $2,535 million paid to the Québec government, the company contributed $3,112 million in goods and services procured from Québec-based companies, $656 million in water-power royalties, $252 million for the public utilities tax, $37 million in municipal and school taxes and $30 million in community investments.

For more information, please consult the Sustainability Report 2014 and Hydro-Québec’s specialized Web site on sustainable development.