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| Chronology | |
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| About the author | |
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| About the photographs | |
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| References | |
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| Leaders | |
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| Milestones | |
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| The language of numbers |
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History of Electricity in Québec
1944: Creation of the Québec Hydro-Electric Commission
On April 14, the provincial government passed a law expropriating the electric and gas assets of Montreal Light, Heat and Power Company Consolidated and transferring their ownership and administration to the Québec Hydro-Electric Commission, today Hydro-Québec.
1944-1959: Development of generating facilities
One after the other, Hydro-Québec undertook construction of the second section of Beauharnois generating station, Carillon peak-load power station, Bersimis-1 and Bersimis-2, the third section of Beauharnois generating station and, in 1959, the Manic-Outardes complex.
1962: A new head office
Hydro-Québec's employees moved out of the old "Power Building" at the corner of Saint Antoine (formerly Craig Street) and Saint-Urbain, which it had inherited from MLH&P in 1944. Hydro-Québec's new head office, at 75 Dorchester Boulevard West (now René-Lévesque Boulevard), was inaugurated on June 8, 1962.
1963: Second phase of nationalization
On May 1, Hydro-Québec acquired most of the private electricity distributors through a takeover bid. Forty-five of the 46 electricity cooperatives and many municipal distribution systems accepted Hydro-Québec's subsequent buyout offer.
1965: Foray into nuclear technology
Hydro-Québec signed an agreement with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to construct an experimental nuclear generating station, Gentilly-1. Hydro-Québec later built another nuclear plant, Gentilly-2, for commercial production. A 1980 moratorium put an end to construction of new nuclear facilities in Québec.
1967: Founding of Hydro-Québec's Institut de recherche en électricité (IREQ)
Hydro-Québec established a world-class research centre to benefit from progress in technology.
1968: Excitement at the Manic-Outardes complex
Hydro-Québec finishes work on the Manic-5 dam, the world's largest multiple arch-and-buttress dam. Originally, it was to have been called Manicouagan-5 dam. Instead, the structure was named Daniel-Johnson, in honor of Québec's premier at the time, who died hours before the scheduled inauguration ceremony in 1968. Under those circumstances, the inauguration was postponed until the following year, 1969.
The Manic-Outardes complex produced other world records: the huge Manic-2 hollow-joint gravity dam; the Manic-3 dam with its double cutoff wall, reaching a depth of more than 120 metres in the Manicouagan riverbed; and transmission lines carrying power at an unprecedented voltage level–735 kV.
1968: Completion of Tracy generating station
Hydro-Québec finished construction of Tracy generating station, a legacy from Shawinigan Water and Power Company. Tracy is Hydro-Québec's only conventional oil-fired power plant currently in service.
1969: Signature of an agreement with Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation [CF(L)Co]
Under the terms of an agreement with CF(L)Co, Hydro-Québec gained access to almost all the electricity generated at Churchill Falls until the year 2041.
1971: Launch of the "project of the century"
Hydro-Québec commenced development of the La Grande complex at James Bay. Project management was assigned to Société d'énergie de la Baie James, which subsequently became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro-Québec. In 1996, when the final generating station, Laforge-2, was commissioned, La Grande became the most imposing hydroelectric facility in the world.
1975: Signature of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement
Hydro-Québec signed an unprecedented social contract that established the rights and responsibilities of two First Nations-Cree and Inuit-and of the other parties involved, as well as the terms and conditions that were to govern resource development in the James Bay territory.
1978: Creation of Hydro-Québec International (HQI)
Hydro-Québec's new subsidiary was given a mandate to export Hydro-Québec expertise.
1981: Creation of Nouveler
Nouveler was responsible for developing new energy sources and promoting energy efficiency. Nouveler was restructured in 1997, becoming a venture capital company-Hydro-Québec CapiTech, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro-Québec.
1987: Inauguration of Hydro-Québec's Laboratoire des technologies électrochimiques et des électrotechnologies (LTEE) in Shawinigan
The laboratory has a mandate to support the development of industrial applications for electricity. In May 2002, its name was shortened to Laboratoire des technologies de l'énergie (LTE).
1996: Creation of the Régie de l'énergie du Québec
The Government of Québec established Québec's energy board, an agency responsible for regulatory supervision of energy transmission and distribution.
1997: Acquisition of a stake in Noverco
Hydro-Québec acquired a large stake in Noverco, a holding company that owns natural gas supplier Gaz Métro, Limited Partnership.
1997: Opening of the North American wholesale electricity market
Hydro-Québec gave the entire North American market access to its transmission system. It created a new division, Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie, to offer all its customers reliable, high-quality power transmission. HQ Energy Services (U.S.), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, obtained a licence as a power marketer in the U.S. wholesale market.
1999: Rate freeze
Hydro-Québec ordered a freeze on electricity rates until 2002. This measure was subsequently extended to April 2004.
2000: Billion-dollar income
Hydro-Québec's net income broke the billion-dollar barrier for the first time ($1.078 billion).
2001-2002: Creation of new divisions
Hydro-Québec Distribution, Hydro-Québec Production and Hydro-Québec Équipement (the latter established in 2002) were added to Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie (created in 1997), bringing the number of divisions to four. In early 2002, Hydro-Québec Distribution filed its first Electricity Supply Plan with the Régie de l'énergie.
2002: A historic agreement
On February 7, the Government of Québec signed a historic agreement with the Grand Council of the Crees, paving the way for two major hydroelectric projects at James Bay: Eastmain-1 generating station, to be followed by Eastmain-1-A and the Rupert River diversion.
