EVLN(Hydro-Quebec EV for sale in Europe by 2005) > ... Dumas said Quebec would be an ideal place for > the electric car market to take off in North America, > because it has plentiful hydroelectric power that's > virtually emission-free. > > "It's like running a car on water, in terms of emissions," > said Dumas.
NO - I beg to differ! As already pointed out, small-scale hydro can be a great thing, very clean & little impact, while larger scale hydro brings more problems. IMHO, Hydro Quebec has a very questionable record on environmental & social responsibility. The initial James Bay project was way beyond "large", flooding ~5000 square miles, impacting an area many times larger, displacing natives, etc etc. And to reach the needed customer base, the power is sent afar to various Canadian & US cities, including a ~1000 mile transmission line to New York and Massachusetts. Just the losses (100+ MW) in that line are staggering. It's been a while since I followed the details, but I believe the next phase was on hold awaiting a more favorable market. Such as one where SUV crazed American's can be turned onto equally inefficient electric-SUV's? So... I would love to see an EV take off in the North American market, but if it being is promoted as a way to justify Hydro-Quebec's present and planned mega-dams to export power to the US, then that would be sad indeed. _________ Jim Coate 1992 Chevy S10 1970's Elec-Trak http://www.eeevee.com
