But increased precipitation expected longterm
by Alex Nuti-de Biasi, Journal-Opinion
Abnormally dry conditions in Canada are forcing its utilities to turn to more fossil fuels to meet increasing demand, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“The Canadian province of Quebec has big plans of becoming the ‘battery of the U.S. northeast’ by feeding power generated from its dams and other hydro plants to millions of people in Vermont, Massachusetts and New York state. But dry conditions that have affected energy output worldwide are forcing one of the world’s largest hydropower producers to cut exports.”
As a result of a global decline in hydropower generation in 2023, many countries turned to fossil fuels to meet the shortfall.
The report comes the same month that Twin State Clean Energy Link abandoned its plans to develop a large-scale transmission project to import Quebec hydropower using an existing transmission corridor that goes through the Northeast Kingdom and parts of Grafton County. NH.
Yesterday, the operators of New England’s last coal-fired power plants announced plans to close, in a move long sought be environmental activists.
WSJ: “Canada bet heavily on hydro as a means of cleaning up its carbon footprint; it is the third-largest hydroelectricity producer in the world. But with the climate becoming markedly drier in recent years, Canada’s utilities are now investing hundreds of billions of dollars to diversify their grids, in some cases leaning on power plants fueled by gas or coal to meet mushrooming demand.”
Editor’s note: Longterm warming trends in Quebec are expected to result in increased precipitation, according to a report by Ouranos.
“Every region of Quebec can also expect significant increases in all indices of heavy and extreme precipitation, in terms of both quantity and frequency. For example, an annual maximum precipitation event that historically had a 5% chance of occurring every year, may, in the future, around 2046—2065, have a 10% to 14% chance of happening every year,” Ouranos said.