$20 billion Dollar Hydro Deal With New York: Local Benfits

New York State has awarded a 25-year contract to Hydro-Québec. Starting in 2025, Hydro-Québec will supply nearly 1,250 megawatts of hydroelectricity, which represents the electrical consumption of about one million homes. A 60-kilometre portion will also be built in Quebec. The Quebec-owned corporation will co-own this portion with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. On June 14 of this year, the MCK and Hydro-Québec announced that, in the event that Hydro-Québec was successful in its bid on the above energy supply contract, they would form a strategic partnership to jointly own a transmission line on the Canadian side of the border. The Memorandum of Understanding signed was historic for both Kahnawà:ke and Hydro-Québec: the first shared ownership agreement for an export transmission line. The partnership played an important role in the selection of Hydro-Québec, as New York wanted to ensure its selection would not impede Indigenous rights. The deal is worth $20-billion and will see electricity being supplied to New York State for 25 years. This afternoon, Quebec Premier François Legault said that the deal, which was in the works for three years, is part of “making Quebec the green battery of northeastern America.”