Hydro-Québec announced that 60,000 customers in Quebec’s Capitale‑Nationale region will lose electricity while maintenance is carried out at the Neufchâtel substation. The outage is scheduled to begin Sunday night, September 20, 2026, and is expected to end Monday morning, September 21, 2026.
The temporary loss of service will affect households and businesses connected to the Neufchâtel substation, which supplies power to a broad area of the region. Hydro‑Québec has identified the substation as a critical node that requires major upgrades to maintain reliability.
The planned work includes replacement of aging equipment and installation of new components designed to improve the substation’s capacity and efficiency. By concentrating the upgrades into a single, scheduled interruption, the utility aims to minimise the overall impact on customers.
Customers have been notified in advance and advised to prepare for the brief interruption. Hydro‑Québec recommends that residents secure any essential appliances, preserve food that may require refrigeration, and arrange alternative power sources if needed for medical equipment.
The outage is part of a broader program of infrastructure improvements across Hydro‑Québec’s network. Similar maintenance windows have been used previously to modernise other substations, helping to reduce the risk of unplanned outages in the future.
Hydro‑Québec will monitor the situation throughout the night and will restore service as soon as the work is completed. The utility has not indicated any expected delays beyond the planned restoration window.