In response to Ms. Dylla's letter published in The Gazette August 8, 2009,  we wish to underline Hydro-Québec's important contribution to sustainable development. Indeed, Hydro-Québec drives the development of renewable energy resources that are environmentally and economically viable in our province, namely hydraulic and wind resources.

Furthermore, hydroelectricity is recognized worldwide as a clean renewable energy source by more than 170 countries and impartial scientific organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, and more recently by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The report quoted by Ms. Dylla (World Commission on Dams, 2000) reviews all the types of dams used for "food production, energy generation, flood control, and domestic use" worldwide. Granted, dams, like all human activity, modify the environment. But not all dams are created equal.

Here in Québec, Hydro-Québec goes to great lengths to ensure that all our hydroelectric projects adhere to the highest environmental standards. Rigorous pre-project impact studies and on-going environmental follow-ups are performed on all our projects. These long-term studies show that our reservoirs, such as those at the La Grande complex, constitute ecosystems whose biological productivity compares favourably with that of a natural lake of the same area.

The first line of the article by Mr. Suzuki quoted by Ms. Dylla states: "If we want to put the brakes on global warming and reduce our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, we must look to renewable energy such as solar, wind, hydro and sustainable bioenergy." In another article (La Presse, October 11, 2008), Mr. Suzuki points out how lucky Québec is to be have chosen to develop hydroelectricity.

Indeed, our neighbours to the south produce 72% of their electricity with fossil fuels. Unlike us, they do not benefit from the geographic and hydraulic conditions necessary for hydroelectric development.

Luckily for all of us, our exports help decrease green house gas emissions by the equivalent of that produced by one million cars annually.

Energy conservation is another key component of Hydro-Québec's strategy to meet Québec's energy needs. As such, we have aggressively invested in and promoted energy conservation in Québec. These efforts have been tremendously successful: since 2003, Quebeckers have saved more than 3.4 TWh – enough electricity to supply almost 200 000 households for a full year. These encouraging results have led us to increase our goals in this area from 8 TWh to 11 TWh  by 2015.

Hydro-Québec is a frontrunner of the green economy, providing clean renewable energy to Quebeckers all the while contributing to the fight against climate change.

Claude Demers, M. Sc.

Geographer

Hydro-Québec