Hydro-Québec's race for more wind power leaves developers scrambling, residents upset

Earlier this summer, Claude H. Vallée received an invitation in the mail to an information session about a project involving 12 to 15 wind turbines proposed near his home in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., in the Montérégie region. 

Worried about his beloved landscape, one "without any wires or visual nuisance," Vallée attended the session on July 6.

He was shocked to learn that Hydroméga, a clean energy developer, had been in talks with the city since April and had already reached agreements in principle with farmers to host the 205-metre-tall turbines in their fields. 

"We seem to have been warned too late," the resident said. 

Hydro-Québec issued a call for tenders on March 31 for a total of 1,500 megawatts of electricity generated from wind power to help the province meet its long-term energy needs

The deadline for submissions is Sept. 12. 

In an interview last week, Miguel Lemieux, the mayor of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, said he still has many unanswered questions about the project planned for his region. 

"The deadlines for submitting bids are very, very, very tight," he said. "This gives us very little time to respond to the questions and concerns raised by citizens."

In an ideal world, Lemieux said, the city would have taken a lot more time to familiarize itself with the project, and also to better inform citizens of the plans.

Hydroméga says it too feels rushed by the deadline.

"We have this urgency to move quickly," said Cédric Lascombe, vice-president of development and investment. "We're aware that we're rushing things [...] and that it can be unpleasant for the people in the area."

Lascombe describes the process as a "sprint," since the call for tenders was announced not six months ago. 

He said in that short time period, promoters needed to carry out wind measurements, map out the installation sites for the turbines and their connections, carry out environmental impact studies and review local regulations. 

"Historically, these are the shortest deadlines we've ever had in Quebec for responding to a call for tenders," he said.