The Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) is proposing that the national assembly launch a national consultation on the future of energy in Quebec.
The opposition party explains that the travelling commission would consult the population and experts and would be asked to report back by the end of 2023.
The commission would focus on Quebec's current and future energy needs and the public investments that will be required in the coming decades to achieve the energy transition and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Official opposition interim leader Marc Tanguay and PLQ Energy and Natural Resources critic Gregory Kelley added that it would be imperative for the commission to visit all regions of Quebec and that Indigenous nations should be consulted and involved in the process.
The PLQ noted that the commission would be co-chaired by two MNAs, one from the government and one from its official opposition party.
The Liberals point out that to meet Quebec's energy needs, the government needs to consider that about 100 terawatt-hours (TWh) will have to be added to the 210 TWh already produced annually.
The opposition party believes that the population must be consulted on the principles that will guide the decisions of the government and Hydro-Québec, especially since energy needs are likely to increase further if Quebec wants to help its neighbours reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
Tanguay is inviting the government not to decide everything behind closed doors about the future of energy in Quebec.
Kelley added that the Liberal proposal is a democratic exercise that cannot be ignored.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 16, 2023.
