BOSTON GLOBE • May 22, 2025
Hydro-Quebec’s main transmission line into New England is considered the region’s largest potential source of electricity. But after reliably selling electricity into the New England market for years, Hydro-Quebec shut off the spigots in early March, reducing the flow to a trickle. The lack of Canadian hydropower isn’t a reliability issue for us yet. But the surprisingly long dry spell out of Hydro-Quebec should serve as a warning that the days of cheap, plentiful, low-carbon power from the north hitting the spot market are no longer guaranteed. A big power line under construction, dubbed New England Clean Energy Connect, was supposed to complement these existing imports, not supplant them. And scratch any thought of starting another one to Quebec anytime soon. The company says it simply can’t sell power profitably into New England right now, given the relatively low prices on the wholesale market.