Hydro-Québec is weighing a proposal to forgive more than $250 million in unpaid electricity bills owed by members of First Nations and Inuit communities, following a report by a former Quebec Superior Court justice. The report, commissioned by the utility in 2024, recommends that the company waive the accumulated debt and instead allow individual communities to decide how to handle the arrears. François Rolland, the former judge who authored the study, examined Hydro-Québec's bill collection practices in certain Indigenous communities. The recommendation comes as part of broader efforts to address longstanding tensions over utility costs in remote and northern areas, where residents often face high energy expenses and limited economic opportunities. The debt forgiveness would represent a significant financial move for the provincial utility, which serves millions of customers across Quebec. Neither Hydro-Québec nor Indigenous leaders have yet publicly responded to the proposal. The report's findings were made public in early 2025, though no timeline for a decision has been announced. If adopted, the waiver could set a precedent for how utilities handle unpaid bills in Indigenous territories.