WHISTLER, B.C. – Premier Christy Clark and Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman told North American political and business leaders that British Columbia’s liquefied natural gas industry will not only fight air pollution it will clean up the province’s debt.
Clark made the pollution comments during the annual Pacific Northwest Economic Region gathering in Whistler, where business and government leaders from U.S. states, provinces and territories gathered to address policy issues affect their region.
Clark says B.C.’s LNG is a product that’s capable of clearing the air in China and reducing smog in Los Angeles.
Environmental groups say Clark’s plans to allow the proposed LNG plants to run on natural gas rather than electricity will increase greenhouse gas emissions at home, but she says the opportunity to provide a clean product overseas is a risk the province should take.
Coleman says he remains convinced that once the proposed LNG plants are in operation the tax revenue will wipe out the province’s debt, which is more than $60 billion.
LNG experts told the summit that the dozen or more projects currently on the drawing board in B.C. won’t all become reality, but Coleman says just three major plants are enough to clear away the debt.
