Quebec to launch a tender for 150 MW of solar energy before the end of the year – SPE

The government of the Canadian province of Quebec has commissioned two solar energy tenders to purchase 300 MW of solar energy.

According to one decree Public utility Hydro-Quebec announced earlier this week is expected to conduct its first tender by the end of this year, acquiring at least 150 MW. It is expected to launch a second tender for the remaining 150 MW by the end of 2026 at the latest.

The provincial government has specified that projects agreed to under the tenders must be connected to Hydro-Québec’s main network by the end of 2029.

The plans for the 300MW solar tender were first unveiled in March this year and mark the province’s first call for solar energy production on a commercial basis. The government said at the time that the initiative would help increase energy supply in the area quickly and at the lowest cost.

It has been suggested that small solar projects could make use of large roofs, parking lots or urban wasteland, reducing the impact on the natural or agricultural environment.

Quebec’s first solar power plants came online 2021but wind and hydropower have remained the dominant energy sources in the province tenders for renewable energy.

Earlier this week, Ontario’s provincial government announced plans for large-scale, competitive energy purchasing, including solar energy.