Hydro-Québec proposes higher power tariffs for large data centres and blockchain mining
Hydro-Québec rate proposals reshape pricing for heavy electricity users
Hydro-Québec submitted a pricing plan that separates very large compute facilities from other industrial customers, creating a dedicated tariff for facilities with capacity above 5 MW. The proposal aims to align the utility's prices with comparable North American markets while limiting spillover effects on household and standard commercial bills.
Under the filing, newly connecting data hubs exceeding the threshold would face an average charge near 13¢/kWh, roughly twice the level current large-power users pay today; existing sites would be offered a five-year staged transition to that level. Parallel changes would reclassify blockchain mining activity and apply a separate, steeper band averaging about 19.5¢/kWh, with a three-year transition for incumbents.
Hydro-Québec says the restructuring is meant to ensure high-demand customers cover the costs and that Québec captures the economic value of its renewable supply. The utility also points to external trends where rapid data-centre expansion has driven material increases in system-wide customer bills in some U.S. markets.
- Current measured load: roughly 190 MW of the sector’s ~200 MW peak would fall under the new large-data-centre band.
- Forecast growth: data-centre peak demand is projected to climb to about 1,000 MW by 2035, a near sevenfold rise from today’s scale.
- Blockchain load: miners account for around 115 MW, with no anticipatory growth baked into the utility’s outlook.
All changes require sign-off from the provincial energy regulator and are targeted for implementation in the latter half of 2026 if approved. Hydro-Québec also intends to keep new project selection procedures in place for large developments so the grid is allocated where it yields the most value.
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