Editor:
The emerging LNG industry in northern B.C. is reportedly going to require an amount of energy well in excess of the entire output of the long-proposed Site C Dam.
When you couple the energy requirement from LNG with the ever growing demand for electricity throughout B.C., particularly from a new generation of mining projects in the north, it’s clear that we are going to need Site C plus any number of smaller renewable energy projects scattered around the province to meet future demand.
But what baffles me is how the B.C. NDP can be opposed to the Site C Dam and other renewable energy projects, when they claim to be in support of developing a B.C. LNG industry?
The Site C project, along with these other smaller energy projects, is essential to powering the LNG industry with the cleanest possible energy while also maintaining enough electricity to meet growing domestic demand over the decades to come. Fortunately for us, the carbon-free, renewable energy that B.C. has available from untapped sources like the Site C Dam and various renewable green energy projects is unrivalled and it gives B.C. a distinct competitive advantage in attracting and then sustainably supporting a clean LNG industry.
If we want to reap the benefits of the LNG industry, we need to make sure that we also have the energy infrastructure in place to do so. That’s why it’s time to get on with building the Site C Dam and other clean, renewable energy projects and help grow the B.C. economy.
When it comes to B.C.’s future electricity needs, it’s no longer a choice between Site C and a host of smaller renewable energy projects. Clearly we need both in order to move forward.
Fred Reemeyer, Coquitlam
