Electrical system upgrade in Estrie
A reliable system and a sustainable future
Working in cooperation with the community
In order to design solutions that integrate the future structures into the environment as seamlessly as possible, Hydro-Québec wishes to plan the conversion of the power system in Estrie in collaboration with the population and the various organizations involved in the region’s land use planning and development.
Staying in touch with the community
The Hydro-Québec team is committed to maintaining ongoing communication with the population at all stages of the plan to modernize the system. Discussions with the population help us to increase our knowledge of the community and the territory and better identify the population’s needs and concerns so that we can design the most appropriate solutions together.
Harmonious integration
Community input helps our team design solutions conducive to the harmonious integration of new facilities. A collaborative approach such as this aims in particular to preserve quality of life and the environment while meeting land use planning and development goals established by the regional county municipalities (MRC) involved.
Public participation activities
Hydro-Québec implements a public participation program for each of its major projects. The population of Estrie is invited to take part in various public participation activities, at which discussions with our teams will be held to help us design the best possible projects.
For information on current and upcoming public consultation activities, please consult the project webpages.
Discussion tables
Regional table on environment and land development
In this presentation, you will find the table’s composition, as well as the agenda and objectives of the table’s first two meetings held on March 13 and June 12, 2023.
First meeting – March 13, 2023 [PDF 439 kB – in French only]
Regional table on the modernization of the electric power transmission system
In this presentation, you will find the table’s composition, as well as the agenda and objectives of the table’s first two meetings held on March 8 and June 8, 2023.
Regional tables
To help us plan the many projects to upgrade the power system in Estrie, we assembled local stakeholders from a range of sectors on two regional tables.
Regional table on the environment and land development
The table brings together local land use and environmental experts who will work to ensure the projects are integrated into the host environment as seamlessly as possible.
Permanent members:
- Land use planners from the MRCs (Memphrémagog, Brome-Missisquoi, La Haute-Yamaska and Val-Saint-François)
- Land use planners from the Union des producteurs agricoles (Estrie and Montérégie)
- Appalachian Corridor
- Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Estrie
- Watershed protection organizations
- Fondation SÉTHY
- Hydro-Québec
Other individuals will also be invited to attend meetings on specific projects.
Highlights [in French only]
- Meeting on March 13, 2026 [PDF 2.72 MB ]
- Meeting on December 5, 2025 [PDF 4.44 MB]
- Meeting on September 23, 2025 [PDF 236 kB]
- Meeting on January 30, 2025 [PDF 243 kB]
- Meeting on December 3, 2024 [PDF262 kB ]
- Meeting on October 7, 2024 [PDF 269 kB ]
- Meeting on March 25, 2024 – North sector [PDF 222 kB ]
- Meeting on March 25, 2024 – South sector [PDF 231 kB ]
- Meeting on November 27, 2023 [PDF 596 kB ]
- Meeting on October 20, 2023 [PDF 262 kB ]
- Kick-off meeting on March 13, 2023 [PDF 439 kB ]
Answers to your questions
Learn more about the plan to modernize the power system in Estrie by consulting our FAQ.
Why does Hydro-Québec propose overhead lines rather than underground lines?
- Less than 1% of Hydro-Québec’s electric power transmission system is underground, or about 200 km out of a total of over 35,000 km of transmission lines (69 kV to 450 kV).
- An underground line generally costs more to build than an overhead line given the high price of the insulated cable and scope of the work to be done.
- Underground projects also generate environmental impacts (construction and residual impacts) on the natural environments they cross (e.g., sensitive areas, waterways) and can require specific construction methods in less favorable environments.
- The service life of an underground line is roughly half as long as the service life of an overhead line, or about 40 to 60 years compared to 80 to 100 years.
- Undergrounding a line is the exception around the world and is only done where the distance to cover is short, such as in the downtown cores of large cities where space is lacking or an overhead line is blocked by an impassible obstacle.
Do electric and magnetic fields have any health impacts?
Over the past 40 years, many scientific studies of electric and magnetic fields (EMF) have been conducted by organizations independent from Hydro-Québec around the world. The results of all of the studies show that exposure to EMFs does not pose any recognized health risk.
What impact will the new line have on property values?
- Power lines, like roads and railways, are an integral part of our modern landscape.
- Though we understand the population’s concerns, predicting what impact the presence of a line or a substation will have on the behavior of real estate property buyers and sellers is difficult.
- Experts have found that a number of factors influence property values, including market conditions, the proximity of schools and parks, access to transportation, the neighborhood and the quality of buildings.
- Hydro-Québec’s approach involves the reduction at the source of impacts on neighboring properties and implements measures to avoid impacts as much as possible.
How does Hydro-Québec make sure that the expectations and concerns of the public and the organizations affected by the project are taken into account?
In order to design solutions that integrate new facilities as seamlessly as possible, Hydro-Québec will collaborate with the population and the various regional organizations involved in the Estrie regions’ land use planning and development:
- We began with a regional consultation on the entire plan to modernize the system.
- We are working in collaboration with regional stakeholders, economic groups, environmental groups, municipalities, local organizations, affected property owners and residents.
- We will tailor our approach to each project based on the needs of the environment while paying particular attention to those who are directly affected.
- We will collect feedback after each step.
Will the completion of the various projects reduce the number of outages in Estrie?
The electrical system upgrade in Estrie will meet the needs of the region and make it possible to:
- Increase the capacity of the region’s system
- Ensure the reliability of the electricity service
- Support, encourage and promote regional economic and tourism development