Google and environmental group to question Hydro-Québec consultants on data centres

Hydro-Quebec's head office in Montreal on April 29, 2026. (Hayder Mahdy , CityNews)

By The Canadian Press

Posted October 9, 2026 6:46 am.

Lawyers representing Google and an environmental coalition are set to question Hydro-Québec consultants today as the first part of a hearing on data centres wraps.

Quebec’s energy regulator, the Régie de l’énergie, will also question the experts as part of the public hearing on proposed rate hikes for data centres.

Hydro-Québec is asking the regulator to consider a new electricity rate for data centres that require a capacity of over five megawatts.

The new rate would raise energy prices to an average of 13 cents per kilowatt hour, which the utility says is around twice as much as what data centres pay as large-power customers.

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