Hydro-Québec has filed an application with the Quebec Superior Court to overturn a Régie de l’énergie decision that it says will undermine grid reliability and drive up long-term costs.
The utility says the ruling blocks essential preventive maintenance work, a key priority under its Action Plan 2035 aimed at reducing power outages and improving service quality.
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The Régie said the plan’s targets are not set out in legislation and are therefore not binding.
The decision affects Hydro-Québec’s 2026–2028 rate application and will result in an estimated $150 million annual shortfall, or about $450 million over three years. Hydro-Québec says failing to invest now could cost Quebec up to seven times more in the future due to more expensive emergency repairs.
Hydro-Québec has also appealed a separate Régie decision rejecting its request to spread vegetation control costs over several years, a move it says would have helped limit rate increases for business customers.
