While a legislated drilling ban prevents production, natural gas will stay a consumption mainstay in Quebec through 2030 under a “dual energy” program that includes a subsidy for households that add electric heat appliances to their fossil fuel furnaces.

Quebec

With support by the provincial government, gas distributor Energir LP and power supplier Hydro-Quebec won approval this spring for the hybrid home and building heating service from utility regulator Régie de l’énergie.

When the utilities began signing up residential dual-energy customers this month, the government announced an initial C$158 million ($126 million) grant commitment to cover their costs of hardware that enables heating source switching.

“It’s a way of using the right energy source at the right time and...