The Parti Quebecois government is calling reports that aluminum giant Alcoa could close its three Quebec plants 'alarmist."
The company says it cannot absorb a scheduled 60 per cent hike in hydro electricity rates in 2015 and it may have to close. Doing so would put more than 3,000 people out of work.
Premier Pauline Marois says her government is talking to Alcoa but she finds the company's tone "needlessly alarmist."
Marois says Alcoa is an important company with a long history in Quebec and she believes it will continue to thrive in Quebec for years to come.
Likewise she denounced negotiating electricity contracts through the media.
In the National Assembly, Minority leader Jean-Marc Fournier accused the government of sabotaging the provincial economy by pushing Alcoa to the point where it would consider shutting down.
Alcoa currently pays about 3 cents per KWH for electricity.
