In New England, Canadian Hydropower Has Slowed To An Ominous Trickle

On March 6, at the start of the still-simmering trade war between the US and Canada, hydropower generator Hydro‑Québec quietly stopped exporting electricity to New England.

At a time of year when Canadian hydropower typically supplies up to a tenth of New England’s power, the region has instead gone almost a month with virtually no cross-border flow of electrons.

Hydro‑Québec leaders say low prices in the New England market — not politics — are behind the decision to suspend sales. The disruption hasn’t affected power costs or reliability in the region yet, but some experts say it could if the cutoff extends into the summer cooling season. The situation also highlights a potential risk to state clean energy plans that count on Canadian hydropower to help offset fossil fuels.