Clean Energy Canada at Tides Canada Media Release: November 26, 2013
Statements by Merran Smith, director of Clean Energy Canada at Tides Canada, on the Clean Energy Strategy [PDF] included in BC Hydro’s Integrated Resource Plan, and its implications for the provincial government’s promise to deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) with “lower life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than anywhere else.”
“B.C Hydro’s Clean Energy Strategy references opportunities to electrify the LNG industry from wellhead to waterline—from upstream gas production in the northeast through to LNG facilities on the coast.”
“We similarly identified these opportunities to reduce carbon pollution in our recent report, The Cleanest LNG in the World? However, this strategy makes clear that the government’s proposed LNG industry is unlikely to maximize its use of renewable power unless it is either incentivized or mandated to do so via new policy.”
“Under current policy, proposed LNG plants may burn natural gas to power the compression at the heart of the fuel’s production process—increasing both carbon pollution and emissions of other pollutants that will diminish air quality.”
“The government has staked its credibility on delivering the world’s cleanest LNG, and our research shows this can be done. But if the government is going to deliver on its promise, it’s going to have to step up and implement new policies to make it happen.”
Background
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The Integrated Resource Plan notes that: “BC Hydro is prepared to serve all electricity demand arising from the development of this [LNG] industry in B.C., and has plans in place for both supply resources and transmission infrastructure to meet expected and higher than expected demand.” (Section 8.4.7)
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However, current government policy will likely lead to LNG facilities burning gas for the bulk of its energy requirements: “BC Hydro and the B.C. Government have been working with LNG developers to ensure they understand the benefits of taking clean energy from BC Hydro’s grid for some or all of their supply. As noted in Chapters 1 and 2, BC Hydro’s current view is that the larger-scale plants will choose to use natural gas direct drives for the compression function (as is allowed by government policy), but may choose electricity from the grid for ancillary requirements.” (Section 8.4.7) (emphasis added)
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Recent polling found that 90 percent of those polled said that it was either “very important” or “somewhat important” that British Columbia LNG be the “cleanest in the world.”Further, fully 91 percent of British Columbians feel it is either “very important” or “somewhat important” that the proposed plants maximize their use of renewable energy.
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Infographic: Recipe for the Cleanest LNG in the World [PDF]
