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Hydro-Quebec Committed to Viable Electric Vehicle Industry

4 February 1999

Hydro-Quebec Committed to Development of Viable Electric Vehicle Industry; Montreal Project First Ever in Canada

    NEW YORK, Feb. 3 -- Hydro-Quebec, a leading North American
energy provider, announced it is partnering with government and industry on
Canada's first-ever project to encourage the use of electric vehicles in the
greater Montreal area.
    The Montreal 2000 Electric Vehicles Project, scheduled to last two years
at an estimated cost of US $2 million, will assist vehicle fleet organizations
in acquiring approximately 40 electric vehicles for regular use in their
fleets.  Hydro-Quebec will supply recharging stations to participating
organizations for the duration of the project.
    The Montreal 2000 Electric Vehicles Project will consist of four parts: a
purchase assistance program, a program to develop a recharging infrastructure,
a research project to study the benefits of electric vehicles and a user
support program. It is estimated that the use of electric vehicles will help
reduce CO2 emissions by more than 3.8 tons per vehicle per year.
    "In terms of greenhouse gas emissions reduction, this project delivers a
double whammy," says Serge Roy, Hydro-Quebec's project manager for Electric
Transportation and Board member the Electric Vehicle Association of the
Americas (EVAA).
    "First, the use of electric vehicles will result in significant greenhouse
gas emissions reduction; second, the electricity supplied by the recharging
stations will be generated through hydropower, which does not produce CO2.
Due to Hydro-Quebec's reliance on hydropower, the province's per capita CO2
emissions are about half of what they are in the United States.  The Montreal
2000 Electric Vehicles Project is yet another important step in the right
direction," concluded Mr. Roy.
    In addition to Hydro-Quebec, other partners in the project include the
Governments of Canada and Quebec, Norvik Traction and the Quebec-based Center
for Experimentation on Electric Vehicles (CEVEQ).
    Hydro-Quebec is a publicly owned utility with a total available capacity
of 37,000 MW, serving 3.4 million customers in the province of Quebec.  It
trades electricity with neighboring systems in Canada and the United States,
and is a member of the Northeast Power Coordinating Council and the Electric
Vehicle Association of the Americas.  Hydro-Quebec reported assets of
US$40 billion and revenue close to US$6 billion in 1997.