The Residential Dual-Energy Program of Hydro-Quebec: An Economic Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15173/esr.v3i2.238Abstract
Higher than expected electricity consumption in recent years and increasing objections to capacity expansion on environmental grounds have led Quebec's government owned electric utility, Hydro-Quebec, to launch an innovative program to reduce peak period residential electric heating demand. When the outside temperature drops below -12°C, customers who have opted for the program are charged 10¢/kWh for their electricity (substantially above the 4.46¢/kWh paid by normal residential customers) and they are automatically switched to a non-electric heating source, whereas above -12°C they pay 2.75¢/kWh for all uses. A cost-benefit analysis of this dual-energy program finds that if, as Hydro-Quebec forecasts, 150,000 residential customers were to opt for the program, they would benefit by $19.0 million per year, while the utility and government would lose $21.6 million and$1.6 million respectively, with a total net loss to Quebec society of $4.25 million a year.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Rights for Authors
As further described in our submission agreement (the Submission Agreement), in consideration for publication of the article, the authors assign to Energy Studies Review all copyright in the article, subject to the expansive personal--use exceptions described below.
Attribution and Usage Policies
Reproduction, posting, transmission or other distribution or use of the article or any material therein, in any medium as permitted by a personal-use exemption or by written agreement of Energy Studies Review, requires credit to Energy Studies Review as copyright holder (e.g., Energy Studies Review © 2014).
Personal-use Exceptions
The following uses are always permitted to the author(s) and do not require further permission from DigitalCommons@McMaster provided the author does not alter the format or content of the articles, including the copyright notification:
- Storage and back-up of the article on the author's computer(s) and digital media (e.g., diskettes, back-up servers, Zip disks, etc.), provided that the article stored on these computers and media is not readily accessible by persons other than the author(s);
- Posting of the article on the author(s) personal website, provided that the website is non-commercial;
- Posting of the article on the internet as part of a non-commercial open access institutional repository or other non-commercial open access publication site affiliated with the author(s)'s place of employment (e.g., a Phrenology professor at the University of Southern North Dakota can have her article appear in the University of Southern North Dakota's Department of Phrenology online publication series); and
- Posting of the article on a non-commercial course website for a course being taught by the author at the university or college employing the author.
People seeking an exception, or who have questions about use, should contact the editors.
