Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to visit St. John’s on Monday to convene with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette for a significant announcement related to energy security and economic development. Discussions regarding a potential new agreement on Churchill Falls energy have intensified over the past week, with Radio-Canada confirming Fréchette’s visit to Newfoundland to finalize a deal.
Wakeham’s office released a statement late Saturday evening, confirming the attendance of Fréchette, Quebec’s Energy Minister Bernard Drainville, and Hydro-Québec’s President and CEO Claudine Bouchard at the upcoming meeting on Monday. Additionally, Hydro-Québec issued a news release inviting journalists to a closed-door briefing on an announcement concerning Quebec’s energy security the following day.
Furthermore, a media technical briefing by Natural Resources Canada is scheduled in Ottawa at 10:30 a.m. NT. While Wakeham’s office provided limited details, the announcement is set to take place at 1:45 p.m. NT in St. John’s. The Prime Minister’s office later announced Carney’s presence at the event.
Sources with inside information, not authorized to speak publicly, have confirmed key points of the new agreement. Notably, the deal includes a guaranteed transmission access of 985 megawatts through Quebec, allowing Newfoundland and Labrador to export up to that capacity to external markets. Both provinces are expected to receive a significant increase in electricity allocation compared to the previous understanding, with Quebec potentially receiving approximately 10,000 megawatts and Newfoundland and Labrador receiving between 2,350 to 3,000 megawatts.
To achieve higher electricity production levels, the parties have agreed to enhance the hydroelectric facility at Gull Island and boost the turbine capacity at the existing Churchill Falls plant. The updated agreement also incorporates wind power, a component absent from the 2024 memorandum of understanding signed by former Liberal premier Andrew Furey and former Quebec premier François Legault.