The government of the Canadian province of Quebec aims to deploy 300 MW of solar through tenders under utility Hydro-Quebec, in a bid to diversify the supply of renewables.

The provincial government of Quebec in Canada plans to develop 300 MW of electricity from solar.

Under the terms of the proposed draft regulation, utility Hydro-Québec would tender 300 MW. The first tender could take place by the end of the year.

The provincial government said the deployment would establish several small solar parks that could be directly connected to the Hydro-Québec distribution network. It added the small solar projects could use large rooftops, parking lots, or urban wasteland, reducing impacts on natural or agricultural environments.

The initiative aims to diversify the area’s long-term energy supplies and create a framework for developing the solar sector in Quebec. The provincial government has acknowledged that solar will help to increase the energy supply quickly and at the lowest cost.

“The objective of these calls for tenders relating to solar energy is to have better knowledge of the market and the speed of deployment of projects,” said Quebec Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon. “In the current context of energy transition, solar energy is an essential complement to hydroelectricity and wind energy.”

Hydro-Québec’s 2023-32 Supply Plan shows that new energy supplies will be needed by 2027 to meet Quebec’s energy requirements.

The tender proposal is open to comments from local people and organizations for 45 days.

Quebec’s first solar plants came online in 2021, but wind and hydropower have remained the dominant sources of energy in the province's renewables tenders.