Energy and Natural Resources

Quebec has set ambitious energy transition and industrial decarbonization targets. The shift to greener practices has to be taken in a context where our energy consumption could rapidly grow under the combined effect of a number of factors, such as the reindustrialization of our economy, population growth, transport electrification and the potential for artificial intelligence to consume vast amounts of energy. Investing in the development of energy infrastructure is therefore critically important, as an abundance of energy is key to economic prosperity. The problem is that public finances are already stretched to the limit with the need to renovate our aging infrastructure, among other things. Encouraging private equity investment is thus vital, and tax incentives can be very effective in this respect. The American example In 2022, the United States passed its Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with the goal of stimulating investment in the renewable energy sector, in particular. More specifically, the IRA altered or created a number of tax credits to encourage private investment.1 Over the past two years, US businesses have announced a total of almost US$276 billion in new investments in clean energy generation and the capturing or elimination of carbon dioxide and other forms of industrial decarbonization, an increase of 34% on the two years previous.2 The IRA is effective in that it takes the respective situations of various energy sector stakeholders into account in a creative, flexible and pragmatic way, especially where taxation is involved. Energy project promoters often have to wait many years for their projects to generate income and profits, even though the banks and other investment funds they solicit financing from can be presumed to be operating profitable businesses. The tax losses that occur in the years during which such projects are designed and built are therefore of little interest to developers, but of immediate interest to investors. And so, a tax equity market has emerged, in which businesses subject to taxes can invest in the shares of entities set up to develop such projects so as to benefit from tax credits and faster depreciation. Typically, the entity that cashes in the investment and develops the project distributes 99% of income, losses and tax credits to investors until a predetermined return is achieved. Once that return is achieved, the investor’s share of the benefits decreases, and the developer has the option of buying out the investor’s residual share. The IRA has transformed how federal clean energy tax credits are monetized, and it is now possible to buy and sell such credits without having to make a long-term investment. For businesses, this new way of doing things is an additional and attractive way to participate in the growing tax credit market.3 In 2023, the volume of the tax equity market for American projects was around US$20 to 21 billion, up about US$18 billion from the previous year.4 It appears that the trend will continue. It is estimated that the value of the current market, which is particularly attractive to banks, is set to double to US$50 billion a year by 2025.5 The equivalent of flow-through shares The Quebec and Canadian tax deductions mechanism that most closely resembles the US tax equity market is probably flow-through shares. Through these, businesses in the mining and renewable energy sectors can transfer their mining exploration expenses and other expenses—specifically designated as eligible—to investors, who can then deduct them from their own taxable incomes.6 These businesses can thus issue shares at a higher price than they would receive for common shares to finance their exploration and development operations. Investors are willing to pay a higher price in return for the tax deductions afforded by the eligible expenses incurred by the issuing businesses, which can amount to a maximum of 120% of the equity invested in the shares.7 Investors can also claim a 15% or 30% federal tax credit. However, because tax incentives cannot be transferred, our mechanism is more rigid than the American one, and it can only be applied to mineral exploration and development expenses and certain specific expenditures related to renewable energy and energy conservation projects, such as electricity generation using renewable sources like wind, solar energy and geothermal energy.8 With ambition and innovation comes the need to take action Quebec could draw inspiration from the IRA to increase the attractiveness of flow-through shares and broaden their scope of application, thereby creating a new tool to finance the energy transition. The renewable energy sector is similar to the mining sector in many respects, not least in terms of the considerable amount of capital required to build the infrastructure needed to operate a mine or energy generation facility. The flow-through share mechanism, which is well-established and popular with investors,9 could be just as successful in our energy transition context. Making such incentives easier to transfer would also drive the emergence of a market similar to the US tax equity market. A number of Québec flagship companies, such as Hydro-Québec,10 Innergex11 and Boralex,12 are also very ambitious when it comes to developing large-scale energy projects. They face major financing challenges, as do those in the industrial decarbonization and infrastructure renewal sectors. Innovation is necessary to meet these challenges and make the transition to a more sustainable, but just as prosperous, world, and to do so in good time.13 Link Rhodium Group and MIT’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR), Clean Investment Monitor, link Brandon Hill, How to take advantage of tax credit transferability though the Inflation Reduction Act, Thomson Reuters Institute, April 16, 2024, link Allison Good, Renewables project finance to keep pace in 2024, but tax equity rule looms, S&P Global, January 12, 2024, link Lesley Hunter and Mason Vliet, The Risk Profile of Renewable Energy Tax Equity Investments, American Council on Renewable Energy, December 2023, link Link, page in French only Link Link Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, Flow-through shares & the mineral exploration tax credit explained, link Link Link Link The authors would like to acknowledge the participation and the work done by Sophie Poirier in this publication

With climate change continuing to be a topic of concern across the international community, Canada has recently taken another step to support the development of renewable energies and technologies. In the 2023 budget tabled on March 28, 2023, the Canadian federal government unveiled new tax incentives aimed at supporting investments in both renewable energies and certain clean technologies. These incentives can be grouped into five main Investment Tax Credits (ITCs). Clean hydrogen The Clean Hydrogen ITC covers investments in equipment that will be used in clean hydrogen projects. This refundable credit of up to 40% of investments will be applied to equipment that becomes available for use no later than 2034. Clean electricity The Clean Electricity ITC covers investments in the production, transmission and storage of clean electricity. This refundable credit of 15% of eligible investments will also be available until 2034 and will cover the renovation and refurbishment of existing facilities used in the aforementioned activities. Clean technology manufacturing The Clean Technology Manufacturing ITC is a credit equal to 30% of the cost of acquiring certain equipment and machinery used in the manufacturing, processing or extraction of certain minerals and substances used in clean technology. Here again, the credit will only be available until 2034. The 2023 federal budget also expanded certain credits introduced in the 2022 federal budget, namely the Clean Technology ITC and the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage ITC (CCUS ITC).The Clean Technology ITC was originally announced as a credit available for investments in certain clean electricity-generating property and has now been expanded to include certain geothermal energy systems. It provides for the reimbursement of up to 30% of investments. As for the CCUS ITC, it provides for the reimbursement of 37.5% to 60% of certain expenses incurred in projects aimed at capturing, storing and processing carbon dioxide. All of these credits are subject to numerous conditions relating to the types of projects or property involved, the structure of the entity applying for the refundable credit and even the terms of employment of the workforce assigned to these projects. As such, consulting a tax adviser prior to investing in clean technology is recommended in order to maximize available ITCs. Although these measures have not yet been fully fleshed out and adopted, they will apply retroactively to 2022 or 2023, as the case may be, making it all the more important to get the right advice as soon as possible as to their implementation. Our tax team is well equipped to help you navigate the complexities of these new credits and will be happy to work with you on your new green projects.

On March 21, 2023, Quebec’s Minister of Finance tabled his budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. One of the budget’s key measures is the introduction of a new tax holiday in connection with major investment projects. At first glance, the new measure does not appear to be specifically aimed at the mining industry, but some mining companies involved in the extraction of critical and strategic minerals and planning substantial investments in the near future could greatly benefit from it. Under the new tax exemption, a corporation or partnership that carries out an investment project of more than $100 million in Quebec will be eligible, under certain conditions, for an income tax holiday and a holiday from the employer contribution to the Health Services Fund. As far as income tax is concerned, this new 10-year tax holiday consists of a deduction in the calculation of the company’s taxable income. The deduction is calculated by applying a rate of 15%, 20% or 25% to the cumulative total of eligible project expenditures. Since this tax measure is intended to promote investment outside major urban centres, the rate will vary according to the project’s location, ranging from 15% for projects in areas with high economic vitality, to 20% for projects in areas with intermediate economic vitality and up to 25% for those in areas with low economic vitality. The higher rates of 20% and 25% are more likely to apply to mining projects, which are generally located in remote areas with lower economic vitality. The critical and strategic minerals identified in the context of this measure are the following: antimony, bismuth, cadmium, caesium, copper, tin, gallium, indium, tellurium, zinc, cobalt, rare-earth elements, platinum-group elements, graphite (natural), lithium, magnesium, nickel, niobium, scandium, tantalum, titanium and vanadium. Let’s briefly consider the example of a mining company carrying out a major investment project for lithium mining in the Nord-du-Québec administrative region, designated by the Quebec government as a territory with intermediate economic vitality. During the investment phase, while the mine is being developed and built, the company incurs $200 million worth of eligible expenditures, which are capital expenditures for new mining equipment and heavy machinery for lithium extraction and processing. Evidently, the company will probably sustain a loss during the investment phase, and, because it has no taxable income, it will not be able to immediately benefit from the tax holiday. However, should the company have taxable income of $50 million in year 5, after four years of investment and mine development, it will be able to deduct $40 million of this taxable income under the new tax holiday, reducing its taxable income to $10 million for that year. This $40 million deduction is based on the application of the 20% rate for territories with intermediate economic vitality to the $200 million of eligible expenditures for the mining project. Another point relevant to the mining industry is that the income tax holiday will apply only to tax payable under the provisions of the Taxation Act. In other words, this tax holiday will not reduce the amounts payable under the Mining Tax Act. With respect to the Health Services Fund, companies will generally be eligible for an employer contribution holiday on wages paid to employees for pay periods falling within the exemption period for major investment projects. In order to benefit from this new tax holiday, companies will have to obtain an initial certificate, as well as annual attestations issued by the Quebec Minister of Finance. Our team of professionals specializing in mining and tax law is available to answer all your questions regarding this new measure and to assist you in your mining investment projects in Quebec.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Latest developments in the Canadian market Fengate acquires a solar project portfolio from Canadian Solar TerraForm Power increases the financing of its Canadian solar power portfolio SaskPower launches a call for tenders for 200 MW of wind energy Boralex closes the financing of the Port Ryerse wind farm in Ontario CPDQ posts an 11 .1% return on its infrastructure sector in 2016 Infrastructure Ontario appoints a new CEO SNC-Lavalin intends to launch a new infrastructure fund in 2017 InstarAGF raised $549M for its Essential Infrastructure Fund Bombardier and Metrolinx move toward a trial The Government of Québec confirms its support for the CDPQ’s REM project The future Canada Infrastructure Bank: a role which remains to be clarified Teacher’s former CEO to advise the Canada Infrastructure Bank Metrolinx CEO becomes an advisor to the Canada Infrastructure Bank British Columbia Budget 2017 provides for record levels of infrastructure investments Road programming 2017-2018: more than $4 .6B to be invested in the Québec road infrastructure network Alberta Budget 2017 increases infrastructure investments Québec Budget 2017 provides for massive investments in public transportation Newfoundland and Labrador Budget 2017 introduces a five-year infrastructure investment plan Innergex announces the commissioning of the 81 .4 MW Upper Lillooet River hydroelectric power plant Manitoba Budget 2017 steps up its commitment to public-private partnerships The Canada-Europe Free Trade Agreement: Impacts on the infrastructure industry Biomethanization: a fast-growing market in Québec Latest developments in the Canadian market Fengate acquires a solar project portfolio from Canadian Solar On February 1, 2017, Fengate closed the acquisition of three solar projects from Canadian Solar . The three projects, located in Sault Ste . Marie, in Ontario, represent a total capacity of 59 .8 MW . This acquisition constitutes Fengate’s largest power investment to date. The three projects each have a power purchase agreement with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) with an average remaining life of approximately 15 years . These projects will continue to the operated by Canadian Solar under a long-term operating and maintenance agreement with Fengate. TerraForm Power increases the financing of its Canadian solar power portfolio On March 2, 2017, TerraForm Power announced that it increased by $114M the amount of financing dedicated to four Canadian solar projects . The group of projects includes the SunE Perpetual Lindsay (15 .5 MW), Marsh Hill (18 .5 MW), Woodville (12 .6 MW) and Sandringham (13 .1 MW) parks, which all have a 20-year power purchase agreement with IESO. Following this increase, the total financing amount for this group of projects is $234M while the initial loan was $120M . The financing term is seven years. Deutsche Bank and CIBC were joint bookrunners and joint lead arrangers for the transaction . Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Siemens Financial, the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec and the Laurentian Bank are also members of the banking syndicate. SaskPower launches a call for tenders for 200 MW of wind energy On February 7, 2017, SaskPower launched a call for tenders for 200 MW of wind energy intended for independent producers able to develop, finance, build, own and operate wind power projects in Saskatchewan . The projects must be operational by April 30, 2020, in accordance with the terms of the call for tenders. Bids are expected by May 2, 2017 . SaskPower will assess the proposals based on criteria that include the proposed price, community involvement, participation of aboriginal groups, environmental aspects, etc . SaskPower intends to grant up to two 25-year power purchase contracts. Boralex closes the financing of the Port Ryerse wind farm in Ontario On February 22, 2017, Boralex announced the closing of a $33 .4M post- construction financing for the 10 MW Port Ryerse wind farm, located on privately owned lands east of the hamlet of Port Ryerse in Norfolk County, Ontario . This is a long-term financing provided by the DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank (New York Branch) . The financing consists of a $2 .0M letter of credit facility and a long-term tranche of $31 .4M, the latter to be amortized over a period of 18 years. Note that the project is covered by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and that Boralex is now the sole holder of the project . CPDQ posts an 11.1% return on its infrastructure sector in 2016 The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”) posted an 11 .1% return on its infrastructure segment over calendar year 2016, according to an announcement made on February 24, 2017 . This same segment brought a 6 .6% return in 2015. The amount CDPQ invested in the infrastructure sector was $14 .6B in 2016 against $13B in 2015 . The pension fund invested Cdn .$1 .4B in infrastructure projects in 2016, against Cdn .$705M in 2015 . The pension fund holds 25 infrastructure assets worldwide, allocated between Australasia (10), North America (7), Europe (7) and Latin America (1) according to InfraAmericas. Transport and social infrastructures make up half of the infrastructure portfolio of CDPQ . The other half includes energy and health care. Infrastructure Ontario appoints a new CEO Mr. Ehren Cory has been appointed CEO of Infrastructure Ontario (IO) on February 2, 2017 for a 3-year term which should therefore terminate on February 1, 2020. Mr. Cory replaces the agency’s interim president and CEO, Toni Rossi. He joined IO in 2012 and recently held the position of president of the project delivery division . Prior to IO, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was a leader in the Infrastructure and Public Sector practices. SNC-Lavalin intends to launch a new infrastructure fund in 2017 At the announcement of the 2016 Q4 financial results, SNC-Lavalin’s management confirmed that they intend to finalize a new fund in 2017, which is intended for the Group’s North American operating infrastructure assets. The net book value of SNC’s investment portfolio is $417M . Its average fair market value as of March 1, 2017 was $4B . The assets include light trains, hospitals and highways worldwide . But Highway 407 will not be included in the fund. SNC seeks to entice passive investors in the fund, particularly insurance companies and small pension funds interested in investing in assets without participating in operations . InstarAGF raised $549M for its Essential Infrastructure Fund InstarAGF Essential Infrastructure Fund (“EIF”) obtained $549M in commitments to date (Source: InfraAmericas). The fund, concentrated on North America, has set a $750M target, with a maximum of $850M . The final closing of the fund is expected to occur during the 2017 fiscal year . The term of the fund is 15 years and includes a 2-year extension period . The objective is an internal return rate of between 9% and 14%. The target industries include transport, social infrastructures, renewable energies, power generation and public services . The fund seeks projects offering protection against market shifts, such as longterm contracts, concession contracts or a specific regulatory regime. Approximately 40% of the fund has been invested since January 2015 . The current portfolio of InstarAGF includes the Billy Bishop airport terminal, two wind projects totalling 30 MW in British Columbia and the Steel Reef Mainstream company, based in Calgary. Bombardier and Metrolinx move toward a trial The date of the trial of Bombardier and Metrolinx concerning the supply of light rail vehicles for the Eglinton and Finch West LRT projects should be known soon, at the conclusion of the hearings before the Superior Court of Ontario. Metrolinx blames Bombardier for the delays in delivering the 182 vehicles under the contract . For its part, Bombardier maintains that the delays are due to Metrolinx repeatedly modifying its requirements . The dispute already resulted in the postponement of the deadline for filing proposals for the $1B Finch West LRT project. The three preselected teams in the Finch West LRT project have been invited to include the supply of vehicles in their proposals, which paves the way to an alternate solution to that of Bombardier. If the supply and delivery model of the Finch West LRT project may be still modified, such is no longer the case for the Eglinton LRT contract, as the financial closing of the $5B project occurred in July 2015. The Government of Québec confirms its support for the CDPQ’s REM project According to a press release published on March 28, 2017 by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (“CDPQ”), the Government of Québec intends to invest $1 .28B in the Réseau électrique métropolitain (“REM”) project in Montréal. For its part, the CDPQ should invest $2 .67B in the project, in parallel with a $2 .28B contribution from the federal government, in respect of which discussions are still ongoing. The CDPQ’s net interest in the project should eventually be 51%, while the provincial and federal governments will each hold a 24 .5% interest. The CDPQ anticipates a return rate which should be between 8% and 9% for the project, which is consistent with the general return objective of the CDPQ, which is 6%. The federal and provincial governments will receive dividends when the 8% return rate for the project is reached . The dividends will then be paid to the minority shareholders until they reach their minimum 3 .7% target return rate . The 3 .7% target rate corresponds to the average borrowing cost of the entire debt of the Government of Québec . Once the minority shareholders reach the target return rate, the dividends will be paid in accordance with the ownership percentages. The project, which is considered to be a public-public partnership, involves the acquisition of a light 67 km railway system including 24 stations and linking downtown Montréal with the South Shore, the West Island, the North Shore and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport . The estimated cost of the REM is between $0 .69 and $0 .72 per passenger/km. The future Canada Infrastructure Bank: a role which remains to be clarified The Canadian Government recently shed some light on the creation of the Canada Infrastructure Bank (“CIB”), but many stakeholders still wonder about the functioning of the future institution and some have concerns about the consequences on the market. On March 22, 2017 in Ottawa, at the Parliament session on the budget, the Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, stated that the CIB would commence operations by the end of 2017. The budget also referred to the status of key public transportation project which would be in the sights of the future bank, such as phase 2 of the Ottawa LRT, the Calgary Green LRT, Ontario’s RER program and Vancouver’s Millennium Line Broadway Extension, without, however, promising financing from the CIB. The launch of the process for appointing the CEO and chairman of the board of the bank has been announced. Some stakeholders in the industry wonder about the fact that the CIB could adopt a model similar to that of the CDPQ with Montréal’s Réseau électrique métropolitain (“REM”) project, which is called a “public-public” project. Moreover, many note the fact that there already is an increase of private financing and not enough investment opportunities in the infrastructure market, which calls into question the usefulness of a new player in this area. However, some stakeholders talk about major projects which would bring about broader economic benefits to the country and could justify subsidies from the bank in the form of equity investments or nonrefundable contributions. The government reiterated that it does not intend for the CIB to compete with existing provincial agencies such as IO, Saskbuilds, Partnerships BC or the Société québécoise des infrastructures. Teacher’s former CEO to advise the Canada Infrastructure Bank Jim Leech, former CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (“OTPP”) will be a special advisor for the launch of the CIB. He will be responsible for setting up an implementation team, negotiating agreements with stakeholders, providing strategic advice on investments and, more directly, for specific projects across Canada. The CIB anticipates to deliver projects worth in excess of $200B over 10 years while minimizing the use of public money . The capital of the bank, that is, $35B over 10 years, would add up to the private financing provided by institutional investors in order to propose equity financings or subordinated loans in chosen projects. The federal government already courted some of the largest public pension funds of Canada, as well as foreign investors . The government wishes to attract investments of as much as four or five dollars in private capital for every tax dollar invested in new projects. In his economic statement in the fall of 2016, the government maintained that increased participation of institutional capital in infrastructures constitutes a priority. Jim Leech became president and CEO of the OTPP after having worked within the organization for six years . He retired from the fund on December 31, 2013. Metrolinx CEO becomes an advisor to the Canada Infrastructure Bank Bruce McCuaig, the CEO of Metrolinx, accepted a new position with the federal government, at the Privy Council Office, to support the launch of the CIB. Mr . McCuaig will be an executive advisor and will support the CIB special advisor Jim Leech – who was also recently appointed – as part of the process of launching the bank. Bruce McCuaig joined Metrolinx in 2010 . Under his leadership, the agency developed projects worth $8B financed by the private sector, notably the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the new East Rail maintenance facility, Finch West LRT, Hurontario LRT and Hamilton LRT. Mr . McCuaig will be temporarily replaced by Mr . John Jensen, currently Chief Capital Officer with Metrolinx, pending the recruitment of a permanent successor. British Columbia Budget 2017 provides for record levels of infrastructure investments The 2017-2018 budget of British Columbia provides for $24 .5B investments over the next three fiscal years, that is a $1 .7B increase for the current fiscal year . This is the fifth balanced budget tabled by the liberal government, which also reaffirmed its commitment to public-private partnerships. This budget in investments and PPP projects include the following: $2.7B for hospital projects; $2.6B for post-secondary establishment infrastructure; $2B for the maintenance, replacement, renovation or expansion of educational institutions for students from kindergarten to 12th grade; $1.4B by the departments for the construction of infrastructures such as courthouses, correctional centres, office buildings and information systems; $7B for investments in transportation, including the project for the replacement of the George Massey tunnel (ongoing call for tenders). Road programming 2017-2018: more than $4.6B to be invested in the Québec road infrastructure network The Government of Québec will invest in excess of $4 .6B in the Québec road network between 2017 and 2019 in order to undertake, continue or complete 2,062 road construction projects throughout Québec and create and maintain more than 31,000 jobs. On March 3, 2017, in Montréal, the Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification, Mr . Laurent Lessard, announced the road programming for the next two years with the Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Mr. Martin Coiteux. The $4 .6B to be invested over the next two years are allocated as follows, based on the main axes of intervention established by the Ministère: $2.1B will be allocated to structures which the MTMDET is responsible for, and $252.6M will be allocated to the municipal network structure; An amount of over $1.2B will be allocated to pavement; $626.9M will be allocated to network improvement; $463.7M will be allocated to network development. From these amounts, $1.3B will be used to complete projects related in whole or in part to road safety improvement. Moreover, 90% of the amounts invested will be used to maintain assets. Alberta Budget 2017 increases infrastructure investments The 2017 budget of Alberta increases by $1.4B the infrastructure investment in addition to what had been announced in the 2016 budget, for a total of $29 .5B over the four coming years. The main areas of investment include: $7.6B in municipal infrastructure support; $4.7B for capital maintenance and renewal; $4.5B for health infrastructure; $3.8B for climate change and environmental sustainability; $2.6B for schools, including $500M for new school projects over the next four years and an additional $488M for future school projects beginning in 2018-2019; $3.1B for roads and bridges; $100M to support Albertans living on reserves who do not have reliable access to clean drinking water. Alberta’s last PPP project, the Southwest Calgary Ring road, worth $1.42B, is currently under construction and should be open to traffic in October 2021. Québec Budget 2017 provides for massive investments in public transportation The 2017 budget of Québec provides for infrastructure expenses of $91.1B over 10 years, that is a $2.4B increase over last year budget. Significant investments will be made in public transportation and in restructuring its management in the Montréal area. An additional $1.5B will be invested in public transportation for the following major initiatives: Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) The Government of Québec intends to invest $1.28B in the Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM) project in Montréal. This contribution will be added to the $2 .67B of CPDQ and that of the federal government in the amount of $2 .28B which currently is under discussions . Calls for proposals are ongoing for the construction, rolling stock and maintenance aspects. The proposals must be submitted by the summer of 2017. Metro blue line The project includes a 5.5 km extension of the blue line toward Anjou, in the northeastern part of Montréal. The work should begin in 2021 and the investment will be described in the 2017-2027 Infrastructure Plan. Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) The government will create the ARTM in order to centralize the planning and delivery of public transportation in the Montréal area. This organization will be managed by the Montréal Metropolitan Community (MMC) . Its financing over five years will include $399M to [TRANSLATION] “maintain excellent financial solidity” and $587.7M for its role in the REM project. Complementary improvements to public transportation The government invests an additional amount of $333M over five years (in addition to the current amount of $1.2B) in the improvements to public transportation, adapted transportation and regional public transportation services across Québec. Newfoundland and Labrador Budget 2017 introduces a five-year infrastructure investment plan Newfoundland and Labrador budget 2017 provides for a $3B investment in infrastructure over the next five years . The government also announced that it intends to analyze all the major infrastructure projects to determine their eligibility for public-private partnerships. The major investments provided for in the infrastructure plan include the following: $330.9M for major health care projects; $53.8M for the construction of new schools and related repair and maintenance work; $44.7M for post-secondary establishments; $461.1M for municipal infrastructure, in partnership with the federal government; $372.2M for transportation infrastructure; $86.5M for the repair, maintenance and modernization of affordable housing units. Furthermore, the plan emphasizes the interest for partnerships with the private sector which stimulate innovation and allow for benefiting from the best market practices in managing operations. Innergex announces the commissioning of the 81.4 MW Upper Lillooet River hydroelectric power plant Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (TSX: INE) has begun commercial operation of the 81.4 MW Upper Lillooet River run-of-river hydroelectric facility located in British Columbia. Innergex owns a 66.7% interest in the hydro facility and Ledcor Power Group Ltd. owns the remaining 33.3%. This is the largest hydroelectric power plant built by Innergex to this day. The facility is located on crown land, approximately 40 km north of the Village of Pemberton, in the Sea-to-Sky district of British Columbia. Construction began in October 2013 and was completed in March 2017. The facility is part of the Upper Lillooet River Hydro Project which includes two run-of-river clean energy generation facilities located in the Pemberton Valley: Upper Lillooet River (81.4 MW) and Boulder Creek (25.3 MW). On March 17, 2015, the Corporation announced the closing of $491.6M non-recourse construction and term project financing for both these projects. The commissioning of the Boulder Creek hydroelectric facility is expected in the second quarter of 2017. The Upper Lillooet River facility’s average annual production is estimated to reach 334,000 MWh, enough to power around 31,850 British Columbia households. All of the electricity it produces is covered by a 40-year fixed-price power purchase agreement with BC Hydro, granted in the context of the 2008 call for tenders for clean energy, which provides for an annual adjustment to the selling price based on a portion of the Consumer Price Index. Manitoba Budget 2017 steps up its commitment to public-private partnerships Manitoba’s budget 2007 provides for an infrastructure investment of over $1.7B in 2017-2018 and confirms the intention of the government to eliminate regulatory obstacles to private investment in public infrastructure in order to promote public-private partnerships. In the context of one of the largest infrastructure budget in Manitoba’s history, here are some of the major investments to be made in 20172018: $747M for roads, highways, bridges and protection against floods; $641M for health, education and housing infrastructure; and $370M for municipal and local infrastructure and other provincial infrastructures. The City of Winnipeg implemented several PPP projects in the areas of transportation and social assets. The Canada-Europe Free Trade Agreement: impacts on the infrastructure industry The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA” or the “Agreement”) will create one of the largest free-trade zones in the world. It may come into force on a provisional basis once the Canadian Senate has validated Bill C-30. Then, only the approval of each of the member countries of the European Union (“EU”) will remain to be obtained for the Agreement to come into force on a final basis since it has already been ratified by the European Parliament. CETA will provide access to the large European market, which represents a GDP of approximately 15,000 billion euros per year and more than 500 million consumers, to Canadian businesses. The coming into force of CETA will have a significant impact on the infrastructure industries in Canada and Europe. We can already identify four aspects of the Agreement which will have direct consequences on same. Access to the European public market The European infrastructure public market represents between 2,000 and 3,000B dollars per year, which is even more than that of the United States. With CETA, Canadian firms, working particularly in the areas of engineering, project management and construction, will gain access to the national public markets of the EU 28 member States . Moreover, businesses will be allowed to participate in calls for tenders of, among others, public law bodies such as hospitals, schools and universities, European utilities (such as gas, power and water distribution) and entities responsible for urban and rail transportation. CETA will also provide European businesses with access to the Canadian public market, which has the wind in its sails since the announcement of the creation of the Canada Infrastructure Bank in the Government of Canada’s 2017 budget. Better labour mobility CETA will also increase labour mobility between Europe and Canada by facilitating the temporary assignment of some categories of persons (for example business people) . Therefore, it will be easier for businesses who bid on call for tenders to do business with the EU by having a person directly in the field. It will also be possible, in some cases, for businesses (such as those offering, for instance, installation and maintenance services), to send their own employees on site to supervise the work or train employees for this purpose. Another interesting aspect of CETA is the chapter on the recognition of the professional qualifications, which aims to establish a procedure for facilitating the potential negotiation of agreements for the recognition of qualifications of professionals and individuals working in regulated trades. Accordingly, it will be easier for Canadian and European businesses to hire qualified personnel. Elimination of tariffs The Agreement will eliminate all the tariffs currently collected on originating products used for infrastructure construction and maintenance. This includes building materials, energy production equipment, electrical equipment, railway products and information and communication technology products. The elimination of these duties represents a significant economic benefit for Canadian businesses, which had to pay high tariffs on many categories of products . For example, the customs duties on equipment for energy production and distribution could be as high as 14% and 6.5% for concrete products. European products will also enter Canada duty-free. Cooperation in regulatory matters Lastly, the Agreement will also implement the Protocol on the Mutual Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment, which will facilitate the acceptance by Canada and the EU of test results and product certification from the other party, resulting in lower costs for businesses. Indeed, a business which had to go to Europe to have its products certified will be able to do so in Canada and the certification will be recognized by the EU . The same process will apply to European businesses wishing to have their products certified in Canada. This protocol applies, among other things, to building materials, machinery, electronic equipment and ATEX (“atmosphere explosive”) equipment. In closing, once CETA is in force, even on a provisional basis, Canadian and European businesses will benefit from privileged access to each others’ markets . Corporations in the infrastructure sector would be well-advised to carefully consider the new business opportunities resulting from the application of the Agreement. Biomethanization: a fast-growing market in Québec Biomethanization is a process whereby organic matter is fermented in the absence of oxygen, leading to the production of biogas (or biomethane) and a solid waste called digestate. Biogas may be reclaimed under the form of thermal or electrical energy or, once refined, it can replace natural gas. Digestate can be used as an organic fertilizer. Biomethanization is considered to be a renewable source of energy which participates in the energy transition toward a decarbonised economy. This form of energy has been around for many years in Québec with private projects such as the Gazmont power plant in 1996, located near the Miron Quarry in Montréal and EBI Energy’s power plant in 2003, located in Saint-Thomas, in the Lanaudière region . More recently, in 2017, Lavery participated in the financing of the Biomont project, a biogas cogeneration power plant located in Montréal, in the Villeray - Saint-Michel - Parc-Extension borough. The biomethanization sector has found a new impetus since 2010, with the implementation of the Program for the Treatment of Organic Matter through Biomethanization and Composting1 which encouraged municipalities and private stakeholders to undertake biomethanization projects. This initiative, which was developed by the Government of Québec and relies on the resources of the Green Fund, aims to banish any form of disposal of organic materials in landfills by 2020 . More recently, in 2016, the federal government confirmed $5B in investments over 5 years2 through the Green Infrastructure Fund, which aims, among other things, to reduce the production of greenhouse gases. The various programs offer financial support to many types of sponsors-operators, particularly cities (40%), regional county municipalities (“RCM”, 13%) and common-interest partnerships (47%) grouping cities, private businesses and RCMs . There are currently seven projects in the development phase, two in the construction phase, three in the commissioning phase and four in the operating phase. Among the largest projects in the development phase are those of the City of Montréal ($237M in investments), Québec City ($124M) and the City of Laval ($123M). The four completed and operating projects are those of Vallée-du-Richelieu, the City of Rimouski, the Rocher-Percé RCM and Multitech Environment, Rouyn-Noranda. The size of the projects varies from one community to the other based on the quantity of metric tonnes to be processed annually. The total cost of the investment is between $1 .3M and $237M (median of $27 .1M) . Both levels of government participate in the financing of the various projects in proportions varying between 20% and 70% of the total cost of the projects (53% on average) . In addition to the financing granted by the provincial and federal governments, the remainder of the financing is split between municipalities and private investors. Biomethanization is still a young technology in Québec and even in Canada. Giving time the market to adapt to this new reality will lead to its mastery, a challenge that sponsors-operators must face . Implementing these projects involves an adequate assessment of the risks related to the design, construction, technological choices and operational management, failing which costs are likely to spiral out of control . In this respect, the necessity of importing outside know-how still seems relevant, since many suppliers and operators who are involved in these projects are based in Europe or the United States . For European businesses, the new Canada-Europe free trade agreement may certainly promote their increased involvement. Lastly, another challenge brought about by these projects is that of profitability, namely, the valorization of outputs relative to inputs and the production process in a context of pressures on the price of gas and electricity. However, the growth of the carbon market, which henceforth includes Québec, the State of California and Ontario, seems to pave the way to a new source of income for sponsors and may improve the financial model of these projects. In conclusion, the program of the Government of Québec contributed to more than 16 biomethanization projects throughout the province, thereby reducing the environmental impact. The latest is the Matane biomethanization project, for which the municipality just completed a call for tenders on April 6, 2017. These projects represent many potential business opportunities for businesses operating in fields such as waste processing, waste-water treatment, renewable energies, etc., that wish to diversify their activities by taking advantage of the growth of the green economy.   Program running until December 31, 2017 (French only) www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gi-iv-eng.html