By William Opalka

CROMWELL, Conn. — Hydro-Quebec is looking to expand its exports to its long-standing customers in the Northeast power markets, Marianne Bonnard, spokeswoman for the Quebec Government Office in Boston, told the winter meeting of the Connecticut Power and Energy Society on Wednesday.

From 2008 to 2013, the provincial utility doubled its net exports of hydroelectricity. “In 2013, out of 32.2 TWh of electricity exported out of Quebec, HQUS [HQ Energy Services U.S.] delivered 15.7 TWh of power here to New England. This is a figure which represents about half of Connecticut’s annual electricity consumption,” Bonnard pointed out.

Increasing exports further will require more transmission.

HQ is a partner with Eversource Energy on the proposed 1,200-MW Northern Pass transmission line from Quebec to New Hampshire.

In addition, the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express, a 1,000-MW merchant transmission line, would connect Quebec with New York City. The line would run underneath Lake Champlain for part of its 330-mile route.

Bonnard noted that New England and the Eastern Canadian provinces share climate goals, with a common target of reducing emissions by 10% below 1990 levels by 2020.

The province is already one of the most active governments on the continent in a nascent carbon market. Quebec began a cap-and-trade system for CO₂ emissions linked to California at the beginning of 2014. “This is the first market ever to be run by sub-national governments of different countries,” she said.

The first joint carbon auction in November delivered $33 million for initiatives in the province’s Climate Change Action Plan. The second joint auction, Feb. 18, produced more than $190 million for Quebec.