Weather, not Trump, spurred Quebec’s power shutoff to New England

By Benjamin Storrow | 04/11/2025 06:25 AM EDT

The Canadian province nearly stopped sending electricity to the U.S. in March, prompting concern among New England officials.

A Hydro-Québec energy project in Canada.

Drought and low power prices contributed to the abrupt halt in electricity imports from Canada to the U.S. in March. Jeffrey Ulbrich/AP

Electricity imports from Quebec to New England all but ceased in March, raising questions about whether the sharp reversal was prompted by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada.

Imports over the main power line into the United States fell 80 percent compared with the previous March, and they plunged 90 percent when compared with the previous four-year average, according to a review of federal electricity data by POLITICO’s E&E News.

The sharp drop in electricity shipments came as Trump’s tariffs on Canada raised alarm bells in New England, which imports more than 10 percent of its electricity from Quebec in many years.

“What happened,” asked The Boston Globe in a concerned headline.

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