Hydro-Québec international power line permit

Summary#

• The Canada Energy Regulator is asking for public comments on an application from Hydro-Québec to build and operate a 400-kV direct-current international power line.
• The proposed route is about 58 km (underground) from the Hertel substation in La Prairie to a point at the Lacolle border, to connect with the Champlain Hudson Power Express in the United States. Comments were due by 24 April 2023.

What it does#

• Describes a permit application filed with the Canadian Energy Regulator Act process; the application itself was filed on 8 July 2022.
• Asks the public for feedback on the project’s impacts, possible ways to reduce harm, and what conditions should be attached to any permit.
• Explains the CER Commission will consider public views before deciding whether to issue a permit or recommend the matter be treated as a certificate request to the federal government.
• Sets a short comment timeline:
  • Letters of comment had to be filed by 24 April 2023.
  • The applicant could file replies by 9 May 2023.
• Notes the regulator wants to avoid repeating issues already handled by Québec’s environmental review processes (the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques and the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement).
• Provides where to see the application: online on the CER website, at Hydro-Québec’s Montréal documentation centre, or by appointment at the CER library in Calgary.
• For questions, contact Mélanie Loisel (CER socio-economic analyst) at Melanie.Loisel@cer-rec.gc.ca or phone 514‑591‑7619.

Who's affected#

• People and businesses near the proposed underground route between La Prairie and Lacolle, including property owners and municipal residents.
• Hydro-Québec and the operators of the Champlain Hudson Power Express project, since the line links into that U.S. project.
• Contractors and suppliers who would build or service the line.
• Residents concerned about environmental, construction or traffic impacts in the area.
• It is not clear from the notice whether any specific Indigenous communities are directly affected; the notice does not list them.

Why it matters#

• The project would create a major underground cross‑border electricity link. That can affect local construction disruption, land use, and the environment along the route.
• Public comments can influence what conditions the CER attaches to a permit and what mitigation measures are required.
• Because the line connects to a U.S. project, the permit has implications for cross‑border electricity trade and regional power planning.