Quebec champions EVs
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC - The Quebec government has unveiled more details on its ambitious plan to encourage more electric-powered vehicles in the province.
The Liberal electric car plan – initially announced in the 2011 budget – would position Quebec as a world leader in electrified transportation, premier Jean Charest said.
The 10-year plan includes financial incentives up to $8,000 annually towards the purchase of an electric car.
Other incentives include bonuses for companies that produce electric car parts, and develop public recharging stations.
Quebec would like to put 300,000 electric cars on the road in the next decade.
The plan will cost more than $500,000, but the investment will pay off, Charest said.
“We need to encourage consumers to give this option consideration. We’d like them to think about it,” he said.
Increasing electric car use in the province is key to cutting QuebecÂ’s greenhouse gas emissions, the premier said.
Hydro-Québec CEO Thierry Vandal hopes the convenience of electric-powered cars will appeal to Quebecers.
“You’re going to be plugging your car in overnight, and your car is going to be full when you leave home — your fuel is at home.”
The public utility stands to profit from QuebecÂ’s shift to electricity-powered vehicles.
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TORONTO - Demand for electricity in Ontario last year fell to levels rarely seen in decades amid shifts in usage patterns caused by pandemic measures, new data show.
The decline came despite a hot summer that had people rushing to crank up the air conditioning at home, the province’s power management agency said.
“We do have this very interesting shift in who’s using the energy,” said Chuck Farmer, senior director of power system planning with the Independent Electricity System Operator.
“Residential users are using more electricity than we thought they would and the commercial consumers are using less.”
The onset of the pandemic last…
