Construction of a 120/25‑kV substation in Coteau‑du‑Lac and a supply line

Higher population, combined with industrial and commercial development, has resulted in a significant increase in electricity consumption in the region. That’s why the grid’s capacity needs to be increased.

The construction of a new 120/25‑kv substation in Coteau‑du‑Lac is the best solution to meet the region’s needs, particularly regarding the natural growth in electricity demand and the supply of electricity to developing industrial sectors.

Given that the Coteau‑du‑Lac substation will reduce the load at the substations already in the region, the planned site is located in the middle of several 25‑kV subsystems. The entire region will therefore benefit from the Coteau‑du‑Lac substation.

The planned substation must be centrally located with regard to the customers it will serve. The site is located in an industrial area to promote the project’s social acceptability.

Yes, crops can be grown in a power line right-of-way, provided certain measures are respected. Hydro‑Québec and the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) have set out guidelines in this regard in the Agreement on the Siting of Power Lines on Farms and in Woodlands.

In order to assess the impacts of a project, Hydro‑Québec has for many years used its Environmental Assessment Methodologies – Transmission Lines and Substations, which involves a rigorous process to determine which project has the least impact by identifying what the impacts are and assessing their intensity.

Hydro‑Québec also uses specialized methods, such as those that apply to landscapes, forests and farmland.

Mitigation measures depend on expected impacts. It is still too early to determine which measures will apply. With the experience it has acquired in other projects, Hydro‑Québec has the means to apply, at the appropriate time, mitigation measures that minimize the impacts related to the construction or the presence of its equipment.

Less than 1% of Hydro‑Québec’s power transmission system is underground, or about 200 km out of a total of over 35,000 km of transmission lines.

An underground line generally costs more to build than an overhead line given the high price of the insulated cable and scope of the work to be carried out.

Underground projects also generate environmental impacts (construction and residual impacts) on the natural environments they cross (e.g., sensitive areas, waterways, etc.).

Undergrounding a line remains the exception around the world and is only done where the distance to cover is short, such as in the downtown cores of large cities where space is lacking or an overhead line is blocked by an impassible obstacle.

Yes, an IEP applies when Hydro‑Québec builds a new substation and a new 120‑kV overhead transmission line. Since October 1, 2018, the funds allocated have been based on the number of kilometres of power line or the number of square metres of ground surface area covered by the substations in the eligible organization’s territory. The amount granted to the municipalities hosting a project is proportional to the length of the chosen route.

The IEP makes funding available to carry out initiatives that improve community life. They can involve the environment; municipal, community or recreational infrastructures; or support for tourism or regional development.

Initiatives must meet four criteria: collective interest, public ownership, respect for the environment and sustainability.

Consultation is a time that Hydro‑Québec sets aside to ask the people from involved communities for their opinions on a project that affects them.

Based on the expectations and concerns gathered, we can then modify and/or enhance a project to mitigate some of its impacts and ensure its harmonious integration into the host environment.