History of electricity generation and
consumption data in Québec

Description

All of Hydro-Québec data on electricity generation and consumption in Québec. Updated annually, the audited data is sent to the Régie de l’énergie du Québec. The data covers every hour of every day in a one-year period and attests to the high volume of electricity that is transmitted on the province’s power lines.

Files or services

Useful information for interpreting the data

The Excel files include the three following tabs:

  • EC horaire (framework agreement method): official calculation method
  • Proxy horaire (proxy method): estimation method used to validate the framework agreement method
  • Sommaire (summary): general overview of the data collected on a monthly basis

Meaning of terms and abbreviations

Bâtonnet (bar): Quantity of heritage pool electricity in megawatthours

Distributeur (distributor): Hydro-Québec in its electricity distribution activities

Interruptible energy: Option offered to customers that enables the Distributor to better manage power demand

Heritage pool electricity: A volume of up to 165 TWh of electricity a year excluding losses (equivalent to 16.5 million kilowatthours) that Hydro-Québec reserves for its Québec customers. This volume is stipulated by the Act to amend the Act respecting the Régie de l'énergie adopted in 2000.

HQD: Hydro‑Québec Distribution. Name of administrative unit that was replaced by Groupe – Distribution, approvisionnement et services partagés in 2021.

HQP: Hydro‑Québec Production. Name of administrative unit that was replaced by Groupe – Innovation, production, santé, sécurité et environnement in 2021.

MWh: Megawatthour

Generator: Hydro‑Québec in its electricity generation activities

Interruptible power: Option offered to customers that enables the Generator to better manage power demand

Integrated system: All of Hydro‑Québec’s power systems that are interconnected either directly or via neighboring systems

Third party: Electricity supplier

Description des libellés

The files can contain text data (e.g., Montréal), numerical data (e.g., 2021‑05‑21) or geometric data (e.g., 46°48'44’’). They are organized based on labels, which correspond to categories. The labels* and their descriptions are provided below.

* Please note that certain labels include names that are no longer in effect at Hydro‑Québec.

Framework agreement method

  • Production brute des centrales de HQP (MWh) (Gross output from HQP generating stations (MWh)): Amount of electricity obtained from generators at the Generator’s generating stations and measured at their terminals.
  • Consommation des centrales de HQP (MWh) (Consumption by HQP generating stations (MWh)): Amount of electricity used to operate the Generator’s generating stations.
  • Électricité reçue par HQP aux points de raccordements des centrales et des interconnexions (MWh) (Electricity received by HQP at the generating station and interconnection connection points (MWh)): Amount of electricity purchased by the Generator from other suppliers both in Québec and outside the province (interconnections).
  • Consommation attribuable à la puissance interruptible mise à la disposition de HQP majorée des pertes de transport (MWh)  (Consumption attributable to the interruptible power made available to HQP plus transmission losses (MWh)): Amount of electricity obtained from certain customers based on the fact that supply can be interrupted in accordance with the conditions defined in the contracts. The amount is adjusted based on estimated transmission losses.
  • Volume d’énergie fournie par les ressources du Producteur (MWh) (Volume of energy provided by the Generator’s resources (MWh)): Sum of the volume of electricity generated and the volume of electricity received by the Generator, excluding the generating station consumption.
  • Volume des engagements du Producteur envers des tiers (MWh) (Volume of the Generator’s commitments to third parties (MWh)): Volume of electricity exported by the Generator in accordance with its contracts with third parties and sales at interconnection points.
  • Volume d’électricité fournie par le Producteur au Distributeur (MWh) (Volume of electricity that the Generator supplies to the Distributor (MWh)): Amount of electricity that the Generator delivers to the Distributor, which represents the difference between the volume of energy provided by its resources and the volume available to fulfil its commitments to third parties.
  • Volume des approvisionnements non patrimoniaux provenant de HQP (MWh) (Volume of non‑heritage supply from HQP (MWh)): Volume of electricity delivered by the Generator under the wind power integration service contract and all the non‑heritage electricity supply contracts entered into under tender calls issued by the Distributor.
  • Volume d’électricité mobilisé par le Distributeur au titre de l’électricité patrimoniale (MWh) (Volume of heritage pool electricity mobilized by the Distributor (MWh)): Amount of electricity corresponding to the difference between the volume of electricity that the Generator supplies to the Distributor and the volume of non‑heritage electricity supply from the Generator.
  • Volume d’électricité patrimoniale (bâtonnets affectés) (MWh) (Volume of heritage pool electricity (affected bars) (MWh)): Amount of heritage pool electricity, the use of which has been optimized by the Distributor to meet the regular needs of the integrated system.
  • Volume d’électricité mobilisé par le Distributeur en dépassement de l’électricité patrimoniale (MWh) (Volume of electricity mobilized by the Distributor in excess of the heritage pool electricity (MWh)): Amount of electricity corresponding to the difference between the total volume and the heritage pool mobilized by the Distributor.

Proxy method

  • BRD_RI (MWh): The Distributor’s regular power requirements to supply the integrated system. Quantity of electricity needed to meet the needs of customers in Québec served by the integrated system, including the electricity used to operate the system itself and transmission and distribution losses.
  • Achats long terme + Électricité interruptible (MWh) (Long‑term purchases + interruptible electricity (MWh)): Sum of the energy volumes obtained from non‑heritage supply (wind energy, biomass, small and large hydro) and interruptible electricity options.
  • Achats court terme (Short‑term purchases): Short‑term electricity purchase from independent suppliers or on neighboring markets.
  • BRD_RI (HQP) (MWh): The Distributor’s regular requirements to supply the integrated system, but for which the Generator is responsible for the delivery. BRD_RI (HQP) = BRD_RI – (long‑term purchases + short‑term purchases).
  • Consommation des centrales (MWh) (Generating station consumption (MWh)): Amount of electricity used to operate the generating stations.
  • Proxy pour évaluer le volume d’électricité mobilisé par le Distributeur à titre d’électricité patrimoniale (MWh) (Proxy to evaluate the volume of heritage pool electricity mobilized by the Distributor (MWh)): Estimate of the amount of heritage pool electricity mobilized by the Distributor that corresponds to the BRD_RI HQP less the consumption by generating stations.
  • Volume d’électricité patrimoniale (bâtonnets affectés) (MWh) (Volume of heritage pool electricity (affected bars) (MWh)): Amount of heritage pool electricity, the use of which has been optimized by the Distributor to meet the regular requirements of the integrated system.

Additional information

  • Editor/Author: Hydro‑Québec
  • Update frequency: Annually
  • Language: French
  • Geographic coverage: province of Québec, except regions supplied by off-grid systems.
  • Temporal coverage: Annually
  • Last modified on: 2022-09-28
  • Initial distribution: 2020-05-15
  • Licence : Creative Commons CC‑BY 4.0
  • Notices and conditions of use: The information provided represents raw data, comes without a guarantee of quality and is subject to change without notice.

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