Public-Private Partnerships (P3) and the Development of Wind Power in Quebec (Canada): Issues and Challenges for Democratic Governance

摘要

Ever since the early nineties,public-private partnerships (P3s) have become in many countries a core component of any modernization of the state. In Quebec (Canada),P3s are part of a modemisation plan initiated by the Liberal government in 2003,with the overall objective of increasing the performance of the Quebec public sector. Over the last few years,through its public enterprise Hydro-Quebec,the Quebec government has held tendering processes in order to buy a total of 3500 MW of wind energy,which is more than 7% of the wind energy power presently in use throughout the world. This paper looks into the wind energy sector in Quebec,in order to better understand the complexity and variety of P3 contractual relations as instruments for public action. It also aims to better explain the reconfiguration and redesign of democratic governance in Quebec,in terms of: performance,accountability,transparency,legitimacy and social equity.