Hydro-Québec

Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company oversees generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for all of Quebec.

Relying almost exclusively on its sixty hydroelectric generating stations, Hydro-Québec is the largest electricity generator in Canada and the world's largest hydroelectric producer. As of 2011, the combined capacity of its power stations was 35,829 megawatt (MW) and its distribution network served 4.11 million customers.

The development of several large-scale hydroelectric projects which took place non-stop from the late 1940s to the mid-1990s — the Bersimis, Carillon, Manic-Outardes, Churchill Falls and the two phases of the James Bay Project — allowed Quebec to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. In 2009, primary electricity accounted for 40.05% of all energy used in the province. However, the construction and operation of these projects has led to conflicts with aboriginal populations living in Quebec's North.