Hydro-Québec Electricity Rates for Bitcoin Mining (2026): Rate CB, D, G, M, L

The Hydro-Quebec electricity rates that matter to Bitcoin miners – Rate D (residential), DT, G (small power), M (medium) and L (large industrial) – with system charge, energy price and demand charge, effective April 1, 2026. Free CSV/JSON + REST under CC BY 4.0.

Quick answer

Quebec's cheap power is real - but the cheap rate is not the rate a Bitcoin miner gets. The number everyone quotes for Quebec is Rate L, the large-industrial rate, at 3.821 c/kWh. A dedicated mining load is legally barred from it. Under Chapter 7 of the Hydro-Quebec rate schedule, any annual contract with at least 50 kW of installed capacity dedicated to "cryptographic use applied to blockchains" must take Rate CB, and that customer may not benefit from the Industrial Revitalization Rate, the Load Retention Rate, the D-R Commitment Option, the Additional Electricity Option or the Economic Development Rate (Art. 7.1). Rate CB prices only "authorized" consumption cheaply (6.292/4.666 c medium power, 4.324 c large power) - and Art. 7.2 freezes authorized capacity to what was already held or confirmed before June 7, 2018, or won through an allocation award. A NEW Quebec miner has no authorized consumption, so every kilowatt-hour it draws bills at 18.767 c/kWh: roughly 4.9x the Rate L figure the province is famous for. Below 50 kW of dedicated capacity you stay on the ordinary rates - Rate D at home (7.065 c/kWh for the first 40 kWh/day, then 11.142 c), Rate G on a small commercial meter. This reference lists the 7 rate classes that matter to miners, with their charges and their article in the official schedule, effective April 1, 2026.

Under 50 kW dedicated to mining, Quebec is genuinely cheap: Rate D is 7.065 c/kWh for the first 40 kWh/day, then 11.142 c. At or above 50 kW dedicated to blockchain use, Rate CB is mandatory and Rate L's 3.821 c/kWh is off the table - a new site with no grandfathered authorized capacity pays 18.767 c/kWh on all of its energy, about 4.9x the industrial rate, on non-firm service that Hydro-Quebec can curtail to 5% of peak for up to 300 hours a year (power drawn above that limit during a curtailment bills at $1.038/kWh). Allocation of new authorized capacity has been suspended since January 2023. Quebec is cheap for almost everyone except a new miner. Rates adjust every April 1; confirm the current schedule with Hydro-Quebec.

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Rate	Schedule art.	Applies to	System charge	Energy price	Demand charge	Mining use
Rate D	Art. 2.5	Residential (homes)	46.154 c/day	7.065 c/kWh (first 40 kWh/day), then 11.142 c/kWh	None	The rate a home Bitcoin miner pays. The 40 kWh/day first-tier threshold is roughly one S19-class miner, so heavy mining quickly hits the higher 11.142 c second tier. A home miner stays on Rate D as long as capacity dedicated to mining stays under 50 kW - past that, Rate CB is mandatory.
Rate DT	Art. 2.34	Residential dual-energy (electricity + backup heat)	46.154 c/day x multiplier	5.131 c/kWh when the outdoor temperature is at or above -12 C (-15 C in some areas), 30.001 c/kWh when colder	$7.266/kW of billing demand in excess of the base billing demand	A dual-energy heating rate. The very high cold-weather price (30.001 c) makes 24/7 winter mining expensive; rarely the right rate for miners. Note the demand charge above base billing demand - a continuous ASIC load raises that baseline.
Rate G	Art. 3.2	Small-power business (under ~65 kW)	$15.426/month	12.388 c/kWh (first 15,090 kWh/month), then 9.534 c/kWh	$22.071/kW of billing demand over 50 kW	The rate a small mining shop or a few rigs on a commercial meter pays. The demand charge kicks in past 50 kW - and so does Rate CB, if 50 kW or more of that capacity is dedicated to mining.
Rate M	Art. 4.2	Medium-power (50 kW to under 5 MW) - NON-blockchain load only	None (minimum monthly bill $15.426 single-phase / $46.278 three-phase)	6.292 c/kWh (first 210,000 kWh), then 4.666 c/kWh	$18.242/kW of billing demand	NOT available to a dedicated mining load. Art. 7.1 puts any contract with 50 kW or more dedicated to cryptographic use on Rate CB instead. Rate M is what a comparable non-blockchain industrial load of the same size pays - useful only as the benchmark for what mining is NOT charged.
Rate L	Art. 5.2	Large-power industrial (5 MW or more) - NON-blockchain load only	None	3.821 c/kWh	$15.027/kW of billing demand	The famous 3.821 c/kWh 'cheapest power in North America' figure - and a Bitcoin miner CANNOT get it. Art. 7.1 bars any load with 50 kW or more dedicated to cryptographic use from Rate L. This is what a smelter, a mill or a non-blockchain data centre pays. Quoted as a mining rate, it is off by roughly 4.9x.
Rate CB (medium power) mining	Art. 7.3	Blockchain/crypto load with 50 kW or more of dedicated capacity; minimum billing demand under 5,000 kW	None (minimum monthly bill $15.426 single-phase / $46.278 three-phase)	6.292 c/kWh for the first 210,000 kWh of AUTHORIZED consumption, then 4.666 c/kWh for remaining authorized consumption - but 18.767 c/kWh for any consumption above or other than the authorized consumption	$18.242/kW of billing demand	MANDATORY, not optional: Art. 7.1 applies Rate CB to any annual contract with at least 50 kW of installed capacity dedicated to cryptographic use applied to blockchains, and bars that customer from the Industrial Revitalization Rate, Load Retention Rate, D-R Commitment Option, Additional Electricity Option and Economic Development Rate. The cheap 6.292/4.666 c tiers only apply to AUTHORIZED consumption, and Art. 7.2 limits authorized demand to capacity already held or confirmed before June 7, 2018, or won through an allocation award. A NEW miner has no authorized consumption, so in practice ALL of its energy bills at 18.767 c/kWh - about 4.9x Rate L's 3.821 c. Service is non-firm (Art. 7.9): Hydro-Quebec may curtail demand to 5% of peak for up to 300 hours per rate year on 2 hours' notice, and any power drawn above that 5% limit during a curtailment is billed at $1.038/kWh.
Rate CB (large power) mining	Art. 7.4	Blockchain/crypto load with 50 kW or more of dedicated capacity; minimum billing demand 5,000 kW or more	None	4.324 c/kWh for AUTHORIZED consumption - but 18.767 c/kWh for any consumption above or other than the authorized consumption	$16.571/kW of billing demand	The industrial-scale blockchain rate, and the one an at-scale Quebec Hashcenter actually gets - not Rate L. Authorized consumption bills at 4.324 c/kWh, but authorized capacity is effectively frozen (Art. 7.2: allocated before June 7, 2018, or won through an allocation award), and Hydro-Quebec's allocation process for the dedicated block has been suspended since January 10, 2023. Unauthorized consumption - which is all of it, for a new site - bills at 18.767 c/kWh. Non-firm service, curtailable to 5% of peak for up to 300 h/year (Art. 7.9), with power above the 5% limit during a curtailment billed at $1.038/kWh.

Source: the official Hydro-Quebec Electricity Rates schedule, effective April 1, 2026 — article references in the table point into that document. Rate CB is Chapter 7, “Rate for Cryptographic Use Applied to Blockchains”. One discrepancy worth knowing: Hydro-Quebec’s own /blockchain/ explainer page still quotes the pre-April-2026 unauthorized-consumption price of 18.078 c/kWh, while the binding rate schedule effective April 1, 2026 states 18.767 c/kWh. We publish the schedule figure, because that is the legal instrument. Also proposed, not in force: on February 19, 2026 Hydro-Quebec asked the Régie de l’énergie to move the blockchain rate to an average of ~19.5 c/kWh and create a new large data-centre rate averaging ~13 c/kWh, effective in the second half of 2026 subject to approval. Pairs with D-Central’s Canada mining-regulation dataset, the Canadian electricity-rates dataset, the city-by-city electricity-price comparison for miners (which shows how Rate CB stacks up against every major North American city), and the mining energy-sources comparison. Rates adjust annually - verify the current schedule at hydroquebec.com.

Quebec energy-regulation status

What actually governs Bitcoin-mining electricity in Quebec is not the famous cheap industrial rate — it is a dedicated blockchain tariff, two live rate cases, and a ministerial gate. As of 2026-07-15:

Instrument	Status	Price / effect	What it means for miners
Rate CB — Rate for Cryptographic Use Applied to Blockchains (Hydro-Québec Electricity Rates, Chapter 7) tariff	In force	18.767 ¢/kWh on all consumption other than an authorized allocation — a miner with no allocation pays this on every kWh. Inside an authorized allocation: 6.292 / 4.666 ¢/kWh (medium power) or 4.324 ¢/kWh (large power). During a curtailment, consumption above the reduced cap is billed at $1.038/kWh. Effective April 1, 2026.	A new Quebec miner with no grandfathered allocation bills its entire draw at 18.767 ¢/kWh — roughly 4.9× Rate L (3.821 ¢) — and is locked out of the cheap industrial rates. Authorized demand is frozen (Art. 7.2) and service is non-firm: curtailable to 5% of peak for up to 300 h per rate-year on 2 h notice (Art. 7.9).
Proposed Rate CB adjustment (3-year transitional pricing for existing cryptographic-use customers) tariff	Under hearingFiled 2026-02-19 · Régie de l'énergie — hearing Fall 2026 · Decision Late 2026 / early 2027 (being challenged)	Would raise Rate CB to an average of about 19.5 ¢/kWh under a 3-year transitional pricing plan for current Rate CB customers.	Existing Quebec miners on Rate CB would see their rate rise toward ~19.5 ¢/kWh on average over a 3-year transition. Proposed and contested — not yet approved by the Régie.
Rate CD — proposed rate for large data centres (≥5 MW) tariff	Under hearingFiled 2026-02-19 · Régie de l'énergie — hearing Fall 2026 · Decision End 2026 / early 2027 (requested effective 2026-11-01; operators intend to challenge)	About 13 ¢/kWh on average — roughly double the current large-power rate.	A Bitcoin-mining or AI hashcenter of 5 MW or more would be moved onto Rate CD at ~13 ¢/kWh — about 2× today's large-power price. Proposed; the requested effective date is Nov 1, 2026, subject to the hearing.
Bill 69 — An Act to ensure the responsible governance of energy resources and to amend various legislative provisions (2025, chapter 24) statute	In forceFiled 2025-06	Not a price. Hydro-Québec or any supplier must obtain authorization from the Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) before serving 5 MW or more to a requester that has no financial-commitment agreement predating December 2, 2022; the Minister may attach economic, social and environmental conditions. The Minister also holds approval authority over crypto-mining electricity demands of 50 kW or more.	Grid access for large loads is now a discretionary ministerial gate, not just a tariff. A new Quebec mining or AI site ≥5 MW needs MEIE authorization (which can carry conditions), and any crypto-mining demand ≥50 kW is subject to ministerial approval — on top of Rate CB and the frozen allocation. Adopted (assented) June 2025.
Bill 2 — An Act mainly to cap the indexation rate for Hydro-Québec domestic distribution rate prices (2023, chapter 1) statute	In forceFiled 2023	Caps the annual indexation of Hydro-Québec DOMESTIC (residential) distribution rate prices. Included for completeness — low direct relevance to miners.	Does NOT set the miner's rate. Miners are on Rate CB (or a commercial rate such as G or M), not domestic Rate D, so this cap does not lower a mining operation's power cost. Listed for completeness only.
Dedicated blockchain / crypto electricity allocation block (Rate CB) allocation	Suspended	A dedicated block of electricity — reported at roughly 300 MW (a figure Hydro-Québec now describes as under reassessment) — was reserved by the Régie de l'énergie for blockchain / cryptographic use at Rate CB. The process for granting NEW allocations from that block is suspended.	A new Quebec miner cannot currently obtain authorized capacity: new allocations from the dedicated block have been suspended since early 2023 (Régie de l'énergie, docket R-4210-2022), and Rate CB Art. 7.2 freezes authorized demand to what was already held or won through an allocation award. Without an allocation, the operation's entire draw bills at 18.767 ¢/kWh.

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The real cost is not on the meter — it is sovereignty

Read the table as policy, not a price list. A Bitcoin mine or AI hashcenter in Quebec with no allocation pays 18.767 ¢/kWh, and the two rate cases before the Régie would set ~13 ¢ for data centres and ~19.5 ¢ for blockchain load — roughly 2–3× competitive U.S. mining power (~4–7 ¢/kWh on low-cost grids like Texas) and ~3–5× Quebec’s own Rate L of 3.821 ¢, the “cheapest power in North America” a miner is now barred from. See the full electricity-cost comparison.

No operator exports hashrate or a data centre to a jurisdiction that costs three times the alternative, so the infrastructure gets built south of the border — and Quebec’s one durable advantage in the digital age, abundant clean hydro, stops converting into anything Quebecers own.

That is the real loss, and it is not provincial. In an economy that runs on compute, AI and data, a place is sovereign only to the degree it owns its digital infrastructure instead of renting it from someone else’s servers. Mining and AI compute are how you turn cheap energy into owned hashrate, compute and data capacity under local control. Price that industry out and you do not trim a niche — you hand the foundation of your digital future to whoever kept their power cheap. Quebec is the sharpest case because it holds the hydro; the exposure is Canada-wide.

The gates also fall hardest on the operators decentralization depends on: Bill 69’s ministerial approval for every ≥5 MW load and every ≥50 kW crypto demand, stacked on a frozen allocation, is absorbable by a hyperscaler and fatal to a sovereign, small or home miner — centralization written into the rate schedule. The answer is to own the stack: self-hosted compute, local AI you control, and decentralized infrastructure no one can price out or switch off — the build these rules make harder, and more necessary.

— D-Central’s analysis. The table above is the sourced record; this is our read of it.

Pairs with the Hydro-Québec rates dataset and the Canada mining-regulation dataset. Sources are cited per row (Hydro-Québec rate schedule & press releases, Régie de l'énergie, Quebec statutes). Reviewed 2026-07-15; next review 2026-10-01. Not legal advice — verify the current instrument before relying on it.

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Last reviewed June 20, 2026.