The benefits of LNG make it a smart choice for B.C.
At a recent open house for our proposed Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Natural Gas Pipeline Project hosted by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office, we received questions from Squamish residents about natural gas as energy source.
Serving homes and businesses in Squamish since 1990, FortisBC delivers approximately 21 per cent of the total energy consumed in the province, more energy than any other utility in B.C.
We believe liquefied natural gas (LNG) is an attractive energy solution for transportation and industrial customers and remote communities for reducing fuel costs by up to 50 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 15 to 25 per cent by moving away from diesel.
LNG is a safe way to store and transport the same natural gas that is used in homes and businesses in Squamish. We’ve been liquefying and storing natural gas at our Tilbury LNG facility in Delta since 1971 to ensure our customers have the gas they need during times of peak demand, such as the coldest winter days. More recently, we commissioned our Mt. Hayes facility on Vancouver Island in 2011. These are the only two LNG facilities of their kind in Western Canada.
B.C. businesses are increasing their competitive position with LNG through lower energy costs and reduced price volatility. Both Seaspan Ferries Corporation and BC Ferries have signed LNG supply agreements with us. BC Ferries expects to realize significant savings which will help reduce its operating costs.
LNG is also providing a new energy source for remote communities not in proximity to existing pipeline or electric transmission infrastructure, and where diesel and propane have traditionally been the only option for electricity generation. Cost savings and environmental benefits are driving that demand.
Yukon Energy in Whitehorse recently became a FortisBC LNG customer. The LNG will replace Yukon Energy’s diesel generation that supplements the shortfall from its hydroelectric generation dam. The town of Inuvik in the Northwest Territories has been offsetting its diesel fuel generation operations using FortisBC LNG since 2013, eliminating 6,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
We believe the benefits of natural gas make LNG a smart choice for B.C. businesses and communities. We encourage Squamish residents who have questions about LNG or our proposed Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre gas pipeline project to visit us at our community office located downtown at 38134 Cleveland Avenue.
Michael Mulcahy
President and CEO, FortisBC
