Quebec premier promises a major wind power project coming

Wind turbines turn at a wind farm in Sprakebuell, Germany, Thursday, March 14, 2024. Quebec Premier Francois Legault believes the province can produce more wind energy. (Frank Molter, The Associated Press)

In Rimouski for his party's pre-sessional caucus, Premier François Legault promised on Wednesday evening to develop the wind energy sector more aggressively.

The premier outlined his vision for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie regions at a cocktail party held at the Hôtel Rimouski in the presence of CAQ elected representatives, their political staff and a number of supporters.

"Twenty-seven per cent of wind power in Quebec is produced here," he said. "I have nothing against doubling that capacity. (...) I can't imagine a finer social project for our young people.

Legault's speech focused almost exclusively on energy as he prepares to appoint a new minister to replace Pierre Fitzgibbon, who said he is leaving political life.

Legault reassured the audience that, thanks to the "visionary" premiers of the past, "there's no need to worry about residential energy for the next 50 years, we have enough electricity."

"Today, the opportunity we have is to be visionary ourselves and develop wind power, among other things, which is a clean energy source', he continued.

If the transmission lines are full, "we'll build more transmission lines," he promised while welcoming the "social acceptability of wind power in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie."

According to Legault, "over the next 10, 20, 30 years, businesses will be fighting for clean energy and will be prepared to pay a high price."

"That means that, in the next few years, we can develop wind power en masse and then sell it at a profit... It's an extraordinary opportunity for the Bas-Saint-Laurent and the Gaspésie regions, among others," he said.

This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 4, 2024.