Hydro-Quebec still isn't exporting electricity to New England. Does it matter?
Last year, the vast majority — more than 90 percent — of the electricity used in New England was produced by generators in the region, according to
The rest of our electricity comes from imports. Hydro-Quebec's
In all, Hydro-Quebec imports represented about 5 percent of New England's net electricity use last year. Losing that amount of power isn't enough to threaten the region's electric grid in relatively mild weather, and an ISO New England spokesperson confirmed earlier this week that the pause from the Canadian utility isn't currently affecting reliability.
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Hydro-Quebec previously
told the Globe that the halt in electricity sales to New England's wholesale market was due to warmer weather making those sales less economical, not
The issue of electricity exports came up during a conversation on Thursday that Quebec premier Francois Legault had with Governor Maura Healey, although the focus on the call was on the relationship between Massachusetts and Quebec.
Legault, in a
'We had a productive conversation with Premier Legault about our shared commitment to growing our regional economy and harnessing affordable energy,' Healey said in a statement Friday. 'Massachusetts has a longstanding partnership with Quebec and other Canadian provinces on energy issues. We will continue this important dialogue in the face of President Trump's misguided and costly tariffs.'
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Dana Gerber can be reached at
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