ABSTRACT
Evaluation of economic impact from a project consists to evaluate the benefit of the project
of analyzing, measuring and assessing the
project on the local, regional or national economy. He allows making an optimal
decision on the feasibility of the investment considering its incidences on all economic actors.
The incoherence of approaches and tools in the evaluation process can skew project net impact
calculation, and consequently, skew the terms of Hierarchical organization of the priorities
regarding investment. In the case of the sensitive projects, requiring large investments and much
publicized, like energy projects, this slant can be disastrous and lead to a chaotic situation.
This research focuses on the economic impact evaluation of energy projects in Québec; it
addresses the issue of the relevance and consistency of evaluation tools and methods. It is
supported by a case study. The study concerns the evaluation of mini-hydro project of Val Jalbert
by the method of cost-benefit analysis. We use the shadow prices method according to the
approach of UNIDO. The study shows that the project of the mini-hydro of Val Jalbert responds
positively to the two objectives: the efficiency - maximization of consumption, and the social
equity - maximization of social justice. It is therefore considered from the point of view of
UNIDO, as economically (and socially) profitable.
Cost-benefit analysis is a powerful impact evaluator. It evaluate the project by integrating it
into a coherent framework of economic analyzes, based not only on national values but also takes
into account the direct , indirect, internal and external costs and benefits; which make it the most
comprehensive evaluator tool.
Through the study, we show how cost-benefit analysis tool can be applied to the net impact