LNG is a valuable commodity which we can either sell to foreign interests at rock bottom prices and a guarantee of less than 5 per cent tax (legislated by the current provincial government) while adding a significant risk to the environment, or sell it to people like me who heat their homes and water, and cook with natural gas and are willing to pay the full retail price, plus all applicable taxes, delivery fees and commodity charges.
That’s 4.9 gigajoules for $52.19, of which only $5.49 is the cost of the gas. A bargain.
Woodfibre LNG will not come close to that return and require significant infrastructure expenditures before, and clean-ups after, it’s projected 25-year lifespan, but promises 100-plus local jobs.
It’s 25 years later and the gas has run low. What do you think my rates will be?
In 25 years, my guess is that the Sea to Sky Gondola will still be running and employing the same amount of people as Woodfibre LNG and most locals will look at the two options and say that at least a gondola has a longer lifespan than an LNG pumping station.
Let’s skip the pumping stage at Woodfibre and build a resort with a gondola and lake with lovely water instead. It would employ a greater number of locals and still be running after 25 years.
I would ride that gondola, but I will not be impressed with the current shortsightedness if I have to suffer higher gas prices for the next 25 years while the only payoff is seeing an awesome vessel cruise in and out, in and out, in and out.
Rob Neaga
Squamish
