How Many Windmills Are In Quebec?

Wind power has become an increasingly important source of renewable energy in Quebec. The province has set ambitious targets to expand wind energy production, with a goal to double installed wind capacity to over 4,000 megawatts in the coming years.

Quebec offers ideal conditions for wind power, with access to strong and consistent winds across the province. The provincial government views wind energy as a strategic priority to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet climate goals. There has been rapid growth in wind power installations in Quebec over the past 15 years, with over 2,000 wind turbines now in operation.

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Current Number of Windmills

According to research from the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA), as of 2021 there were 2,366 wind turbines currently operating across Quebec. This represents a total installed capacity of 3,972 MW.

The wind turbines are distributed across several regions in Quebec, with the largest concentration found in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region. This region accounts for 988 wind turbines and 1,926 MW of capacity. Other top regions for wind power include Bas-Saint-Laurent (396 turbines, 859 MW), Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (240 turbines, 534 MW), and Montérégie (238 turbines, 452 MW).

Southern Quebec, which includes regions like Montérégie, Estrie, and Centre-du-Québec, is home to over 800 wind turbines in total. Meanwhile, northern regions such as Côte-Nord, Nord-du-Québec, and Abitibi-Témiscamingue currently have very limited wind power installations of just a few dozen turbines each.

Wind Power Capacity

As of 2021, Quebec has over 4,000 MW of installed wind power capacity, accounting for nearly 10% of the province’s electricity generation mix.¹ Wind energy is the fourth largest source of electricity in Quebec after hydroelectricity, natural gas, and biomass.² The Quebec government has set a target to double the province’s installed wind capacity to 8,000 MW by 2030, which would raise wind’s contribution to around 15-20% of total generation.

Quebec is ideally situated to harness wind energy, with access to strong wind resources along the St. Lawrence River valley and in the Gaspé Peninsula region. As wind power continues to expand, it provides a clean, renewable source of electricity to complement Quebec’s massive hydroelectric system.

Major Wind Farms

Some of the largest wind farms in Quebec include:

Le Nordais Wind Farm: This 96 MW wind farm located in the Capitale-Nationale region has 55 turbines and became operational in 2013. (https://www.tourismecentreduquebec.com/en/activities/circuit-des-eoliennes-de-lerable.aspx)
Montérégie Wind Farm: With 76 wind turbines totalling 147 MW of capacity, this is the largest wind farm in Quebec located in the Montérégie region near the Saint Lawrence River.
Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farm: This wind farm located north of Quebec City has 147 turbines with a capacity of 364 MW. It is one of the largest wind power projects in Canada.

Quebec has favorable wind conditions along the St. Lawrence River Valley and the Gaspé Peninsula, leading to the development of large-scale wind farms that generate renewable electricity for the province. The largest wind farms have dozens of turbines and capacities in the hundreds of megawatts.

Wind Power Potential

Quebec has substantial remaining potential for wind power growth. According to a study by Hélimax referenced on the AQPER website, if only areas located within 25 km of a Hydro-Quebec power line are considered, Quebec’s wind energy potential amounts to over 96,000 MW, which is almost 25 times the province’s current installed wind capacity of 3,900 MW.

The most promising regions for developing new wind farms are the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region, the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, and the Côte-Nord region. These areas have strong, consistent winds and proximity to Quebec’s main transmission lines. For example, Hydro-Québec has identified five high-potential zones on the Gaspé Peninsula alone that could support 5,000 MW of wind power capacity.

Additionally, the Mauricie and central Quebec regions around the Saint Lawrence River valley also offer untapped wind resources for future wind farm development. With abundant open space and wind speeds suitable for utility-scale turbines, Quebec can continue expanding its wind generation significantly in the years ahead.

Economic Impact

The development of wind power in Quebec has had a significant positive economic impact on the province. According to a report by Aviseo, the wind energy industry contributed over $2 billion to Quebec’s GDP in 2020 and supported over 7,500 direct and indirect jobs (Overview of the financial impact of the Quebec wind energy industry on communities). The industry generates significant tax revenues for provincial and municipal governments as well.

Wind power projects also provide economic benefits locally. Construction and maintenance of wind farms creates jobs in rural communities. For example, the Montérégie region has seen over $1 billion invested in wind projects since 2005, resulting in $60 million in municipal taxes and the creation of over 1,000 jobs (The economic benefits of developing wind power in Quebec). Landowners receive lease payments for hosting turbines on their property as well. Overall, wind power has become an important driver of economic development, especially in rural parts of Quebec.

Environmental Benefits

Wind energy provides significant environmental benefits compared to conventional electricity generation sources. Wind power emits no greenhouse gases or toxic pollutants during operation.

According to Natural Resources Canada, wind energy helps avoid the emission of millions of tons of greenhouse gases each year in Canada. In 2020 alone, wind energy helped avoid approximately 6.8 megatonnes of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to taking around 1.5 million cars off the road.

Compared to fossil fuel-fired power plants, every kilowatt-hour of electricity generated from wind energy avoids the emission of 0.8 to 1.3 pounds of greenhouse gases, depending on the type of conventional generation it displaces. This makes wind energy over 90 times less carbon intensive per kWh than coal-fired electricity generation.

Wind power emits only small amounts of emissions during manufacturing, construction, maintenance, and decommissioning. However, these are negligible compared to the air pollution emitted over the lifetime of conventional power plants.

By boosting the amount of clean electricity on the grid, wind energy reduces our reliance on power plants that emit large quantities of carbon pollution and worsen climate change. Widespread use of wind power will be critical for Canada to meet its climate change mitigation targets.

Government Policy

The Quebec government has implemented several policies and incentives to support wind power development in the province. In 2022, the provincial government launched a new 1,500 MW call for tenders for wind energy, with operations expected to begin by December 2029 (Source). This will add significant new wind capacity to help meet renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Quebec has also implemented an electrification and climate change fund which provides financial support for renewable energy projects, including wind farms (Source). The province has set a target of increasing wind power capacity from 3.5 GW currently to 8 GW by 2030, and 14 GW by 2040. This will require major investments in new wind farms across Quebec (Source).

The provincial government aims to double wind power generation by 2030 as part of its strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy. Policies and incentives will continue supporting wind farm development to meet these ambitious targets for clean power.

Challenges

Integrating large amounts of wind power into Quebec’s electricity grid has faced some challenges. Wind power is intermittent and variable, which makes it more difficult to integrate into the grid compared to more stable sources like hydroelectric dams. Grid operators have had to develop new capabilities and practices to manage the variability of wind power and ensure a stable electricity supply. Specific issues have included predicting wind generation, managing surplus energy production, and maintaining adequate reserve power capacity (The Issues of Wind Power Development Projects in Québec).

Wind power developments have also faced public opposition in some communities. Concerns have included noise, visual impacts on landscapes, effects on wildlife, and impacts on local property values. Strong initial opposition has delayed or halted some proposed wind farms. Developing local community partnerships and ensuring residents benefit economically from projects has helped gain public support in many cases, but opposition remains an issue for new developments (Hydro-Québec’s race for more wind power leaves developers scrambling, residents upset). Careful siting and consultation processes are needed to mitigate public opposition.

Future Outlook

Wind energy is projected to see massive growth in Quebec over the next decade. According to a recent announcement from Hydro-Québec, the province aims to double its wind generation capacity from 3,000 MW to 6,000 MW by 2030. By 2040, Hydro-Québec plans to further quadruple wind capacity to 12,000 MW.

There are several major wind farm developments on the horizon that will contribute to this growth. Hydro-Québec recently launched requests for proposals for up to 2,000 MW of new wind energy projects to be completed by 2026 (Source). Additional wind farm projects are expected to be announced in the coming years as Quebec aims to meet its renewable energy and climate goals.

With abundant wind resources, growing demand for clean energy, and strong government support, the future looks bright for continued wind power expansion in Quebec.