VICTORIA – On Friday, Minister of Energy and Mines Rich Coleman announced that the provincial government would revise BC Hydro’s definition of self-sufficiency. The definition will be amended to ensure British Columbia’s electricity rates are kept low and to support the goal of expanding natural gas development and LNG processing as part of our BC Jobs Plan. The NDP is now raising serious doubts about their ability to capitalize on British Columbia’s natural gas opportunity.

LNG processing requires large amounts of electricity. The energy demand from the three plants proposed for the Kitimat area is approximately 12,500 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, about two and one-half times the output of the proposed Site C hydro electric dam. The NDP have said no to Site C and the clean, renewable electricity it will generate. They have also said they would place a moratorium on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and rip up existing contracts. What the NDP have not said and do not appear to know is how they would supply energy to these critical projects.

Failed NDP leadership candidate and Energy critic John Horgan was quick to endorse Coleman’s self-sufficiency announcement: “They’ve been pushing self-sufficiency coming on four years now…I’m pleased to see they’ve amended the policy…” (Vancouver Sun, Feb 04/12)

John Horgan’s views on this policy are completely at odds with NDP President Moe Sihota and demonstrate that the NDP have no clue when it comes to natural gas and LNG development: “I don’t like the idea of shifting away from self-sufficiency to the degree that the government has…I like the old policy.” (CBC, Feb 6/12)

British Columbia is a premier natural gas producing province, and our Natural Gas and LNG Strategies will help us attract investment, enhance our competitiveness, and create jobs. These Strategies are in place to ensure B.C. seizes a unique opportunity in a competitive global market. The NDP’s lack of a plan to address the power needs of these projects would put all of this at risk.

Quote:
“While the NDP is focused on killing jobs at IPPs today and jeopardizing the LNG and natural gas jobs of tomorrow, our government is focused on a long-term strategy that will deliver jobs and growth to British Columbia. Our government is committed to ensuring British Columbia is well positioned to compete in the race to supply an increasing world demand for LNG.”
-Minister of Energy and Mines Rich Coleman

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