Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to visit St. John’s on Monday to hold discussions with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette. The meeting is set to involve an important announcement regarding energy security and economic development.
Recent talks have intensified around a potential new agreement concerning Churchill Falls energy. Fréchette is confirmed to be traveling to Newfoundland to finalize this agreement. The involvement of Quebec’s Energy Minister Bernard Drainville and Hydro-Québec’s president and chief executive officer, Claudine Bouchard, has also been confirmed by Wakeham’s office.
Hydro-Québec has separately announced a closed-door briefing for reporters on Monday at 11 a.m. regarding an announcement related to Quebec’s energy security. This briefing will be led by Dave Rhéaume, Hydro-Québec’s executive vice-president of energy and regulatory strategy and industrial activities.
Additionally, a media technical briefing is scheduled to take place in Ottawa at 10:30 a.m. NT, as mentioned in a news release from Natural Resources Canada.
The specific details of the announcement are scarce, but it is confirmed to occur at 1:45 p.m. NT in St. John’s. Prime Minister Carney is also expected to be present at the event.
Sources with inside knowledge, speaking on condition of anonymity, have disclosed some aspects of the new deal. It includes a guaranteed transmission access of 985 megawatts through Quebec, allowing Newfoundland and Labrador to sell up to that amount to external markets. Both provinces are expected to receive significantly more electricity compared to the previous agreement, with Quebec potentially receiving around 10,000 megawatts and Newfoundland and Labrador receiving at least 2,350 megawatts, possibly increasing up to 3,000 megawatts.
To achieve this boost in electricity production, the parties have agreed to enhance the hydroelectric facility at Gull Island and increase the generating capacity of the turbines at the existing Churchill Falls plant. Notably, the new agreement incorporates wind power, a component absent from the previous memorandum of understanding signed in 2024.
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