Union of Quebec Municipalities and Énergir reach new agreement on urban infrastructure management
December 12, 2019 - Press releases
Montréal, December 12, 2019 – The Union of Québec Municipalities (UMQ) and Énergir are pleased to announce the signing of a new framework agreement on the coordinated management of public spaces for urban infrastructure networks.
In the same vein as the 2013–2018 framework agreement, the new agreement, which covers the 2019–2027 period, will continue to offer municipalities a predictable and harmonious framework for dealings between owners of infrastructures in the public domain, and more specifically with regard to maintenance, repair, installation and operation of the gas network.
New conditions
Under the eight-year agreement, Énergir will pay any municipality that adheres to the framework agreement by resolution, 2.5% of the value of any installation or improvement work it performs on the municipality’s territory. This is a 25% improvement over the previous agreement, which provided for a 2% compensation.
The agreement also stipulates that if a municipality requests that Énergir relocate its distribution network, there will be a cost-sharing arrangement that will factor in asset depreciation.
Furthermore, Énergir is providing for a roadway performance guarantee of four years following completion of the work and, where possible, will limit interventions on roadways that have been subject to major work within the past five years.
The new agreement also includes a number of additional measures to foster efficient work planning and coordination between Énergir and the municipalities.
Please, find the agreement here
Quotes
“The UMQ is pleased to strengthen, through this improved agreement, its long-term partnership with Énergir, which is a key partner in the development of our communities. This agreement will enable local governments to more effectively assume their responsibilities in the area of urban infrastructure management. I encourage our members to adopt a resolution in order to benefit from the conditions set out in this framework agreement.”
— Suzanne Roy, interim UMQ Chair and Mayor of Sainte-Julie
“Énergir is delighted to conclude this new agreement, which reaffirms the importance of collaboration with the municipalities. As a key partner in the development of the municipalities’ territories for over 60 years, Énergir is confident that this agreement will help us maintain good relations with those municipalities and will offer predictable parameters for the sound management of urban infrastructures.”
— Éric Lachance, Senior Vice President of Énergir
About Énergir
With more than $8 billion in assets, Énergir is a diversified energy company whose mission is to find increasingly sustainable ways to meet the energy needs of its 525,000 customers and the communities it serves. In Québec, it is the leading natural gas distribution company and also produces, through its subsidiaries, electricity from wind power. Through its subsidiaries in the United States, the company operates in 15 states where it produces electricity from hydraulic, wind and solar sources, while serving as the leading electricity distributor and the sole natural gas distributor in Vermont. Énergir values energy efficiency and invests both resources and efforts in innovative energy projects such as renewable natural gas and liquefied and compressed natural gas. Through its subsidiaries, it also provides a variety of energy services. Énergir aspires to become the partner of choice for those striving for a better energy future.
About the UMQ, the voice of local governments
For the past 100 years, the UMQ has represented local governments in every region of Québec. The UMQ mission is to provide strong leadership for effective, autonomous local governments by mobilizing municipal expertise, supporting members in carrying out their functions, and promoting enhanced municipal democracy. UMQ members, representing over 85% of the population and land area of Québec, are grouped into affinity caucuses: local municipalities, central municipalities, regional cities, major cities, and municipalities in Montréal.
For more information:
Énergir UMQ
Catherine Houde
Senior Advisor, Media, Communications and Public Affairs
1-866-598-3449
Patrick Lemieux
Communications and Media Relations Advisor
438-827-4560