CUPE expresses dismay at the recent announcement of private sector involvement in eight new wind farms in Quebec. Once again, the government has shown its intention to break Hydro-Québec’s monopoly instead of learning from its mistakes and taking over these wind farms in the interests of Quebec society.
“As far back as 2006, CUPE fiercely opposed private sector energy production in wind farms. In the ensuing years, we overpaid when we bought back electricity produced by these farms. This model isn’t working. We should be developing them under the umbrella of Hydro-Québec,” said Patrick Gloutney, the president of CUPE Quebec.
“We shouldn’t have to rely on intermediaries we don’t need, which will just siphon off income that should go to government coffers to fund our schools and hospitals,” he added.
During the last CAQ retreat, François Legault said he wanted to tackle the issues that aren’t going well in Quebec. He should realize that Hydro-Québec is doing far better than Pierre Fitzgibbon, the Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, claims it is.
“Quebec voters have never been asked to vote on ending Hydro-Québec’s monopoly, but that’s what the CAQ is now doing,” said Gloutney.