The quality of the service will be the priority of the new boss of Hydro-Québec

In the aftermath of the announcement of his appointment to the head of Hydro-Québec, the new CEO Claudine Bouchard intends to tackle the quality of service and reduction in breakdowns.

Ms. Bouchard, who answered questions from Maxime Coudé at the microphone of the show A whole morningon here first, explained that major challenges are waiting for Hydro-Québec, which plans to double its electricity production by 2050.

The objective is ambitious, she admits, but it will not bear fruit without a reliable network.

We want to electrify Quebec. [Mais] To electrify Quebec, you must first have a service that is reliable for our customersexplained from the outset the one who has more than 25 years of career at Hydro-Québec, where she took her first steps as a guide for visitors.

The number one orientation of our action plan is to ensure the improvement of quality. This is what my teams and I have been working on for two years on.

Formerly recognized for its reliability and solidity, the Quebec electrical network has been increasingly vulnerable to bad weather in recent years. Breakdowns that affect more than 100,000 customers are no longer isolated phenomena during storm lines, ice or strong winds.

But the situation improves, says Bouchard. We were able to reduce the number of failures by 50 % in 2024 compared to previous years. It’s still an important moment.

The total number of breakdowns in Quebec in 2024 having not yet been published, it is difficult to confirm this assertion. The Hydro-Québec’s 2024 annual report, however, mentions a reduction more than 50 % of the average duration of breakdowns compared to 2023.

We did a lot of work [pour renforcer le réseau]. We also worked with municipalities to help us in controlling vegetation. We have adapted our ways of doing things to ensure this resilience despite the evolution of climate change.

We want to make sure that what we are doing is durable in time and that’s why we already have results on reducing breakdownsunderlines the new patron of Hydro.

10,000 megawatts more than 10 years

The second major challenge that Claudine Bouchard intends to take up is to carry out the ambitious 100 billion dollars’ action of the Crown Corporation which aims to increase its electricity production by 10,000 megawatts by 2035 and double it by 2050.

However, to add megawatts to the network, it is not necessary to count only on the construction of power plants; A large amount of electricity can also be recovered, underlines the CEO of Hydro.

Not only should we add megawatts, we must better consume these megawattsshe explains.

We [les Québécois] are energy -consuming. That, I think it’s clear […] Hydro-Québec must ensure that it is well supporting its customers in the reduction or optimization of their electricity consumption. Because the greenest electron is the one you don’t consume.

Even if the electricity rates are low in Quebec, underlines Ms. Bouchard, a reduction in the energy bill for companies will allow them to reinvest in other things, in productivity or in the rise of their business.

This is why we have doubled our goal in terms of energy efficiencyshe underlines.

Hydro-Québec has always been associated with Quebec’s economic development and the intention of the plan is to make it a world leader in terms of decarbonation and economic prosperity.

For the new hydro boss, Quebec has a major competitive advantage in the field of clean and renewable energy at low cost. An advantage which, according to her, must not only be developed, but preserved.

Our legacy for us for the next generations is to make sure to maintain this production park there and the very low price for Quebecers and for Quebec society.

Quebec is the largest electricity producer in Canada with a production capacity of more than 47,000 megawatts.

In 2024, Hydro-Québec sold 192.3 Terawattheures (TWH) of electricity, of which 15.1 TWh were exported. The Corporate of the State declared the same year a net profit of 2.7 billion dollars.