Our newsletter: 02 January 2025
From us all at the First Nations LNG Alliance, Happy New Year!
Updates on LNG in BC
From Cedar LNG (photos above) to FortisBC, who is moving on LNG projects in BC, who is waiting on government decisions, who is at work in the water, who is getting a new CEO, and who is working on reclamation on a gas pipeline route?
The Haisla Nation’s Cedar LNG project, for one, is focused on site preparation and clearing work to prepare for a full construction season in 2025. It is refining its design, and expects peak construction in 2026, and its floating production unit in 2028.
The Nisga’a Nation’s Ksi Lisims LNG project in northern BC is looking for some decisions from the BC Environmental Assessment Office (BCEAO) in 2025. The big one: Will the BCEAO determine that work in 2024 means the pipeline project line has been “substantially started.” If so, its BC environmental certificate could remain alive.
And there’s much more at https://ow.ly/2Wmx50UwXCE
- Plus: The Top Ten Canadian energy stories in 2024 included a green light for Cedar LNG and completion of the Coastal GasLink pipeline that feeds LNG Canada and will supply Cedar LNG: https://ow.ly/ze0150UyiQu
New minister to manage BC LNG
Premier David Eby’s’ appointment of former health minister Adrian Dix (above) as minister of energy and climate solutions gives Dix a hefty workload that includes managing the LNG and oil/gas sector.
And, at the same time, managing BC’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 16% below 2007 levels this year, 40% by 2030, 60% by 2040, and 80% by 2050. And any new LNG plants must show their emissions will be net-zero by 2030.
Dix will get his official “mandate letter” from the premier later this month. His initial “appointment letter” from Eby in November included this: “Essential to our path towards a more prosperous future is continuing as a leader on tackling climate change. The cost of inaction is not just environmental, it’s also economic. The transition to a low-carbon future represents a generational opportunity we must seize, not abandon.”
There was no mention of LNG.
Dix himself hasn’t spoken publicly about LNG for a long time, but Premier Eby said last summer that he’s optimistic that LNG Canada’s LNG-for-export plant can be expanded without supercharging the province’s emissions.
Eby also said in December 2023: “The oil and gas sector is a real sector with actual jobs in our community and it will be for the foreseeable future.” And the sector brings big tax and royalty revenues to the government.
Indigenous energy news
- Innergex sells power to BC Hydro, for 30 years, from the Stewart Creek wind project, in partnership with West Moberly First Nations: https://ow.ly/XPRQ50UxjkS
- Innergex also wins a 30-year purchase agreement with BC Hydro for power from the Nithi Mountain wind project, in partnership with the Stellat’en First Nation: https://ow.ly/vxkv50UxmaP
- Indigenous-led wind projects propel New Brunswick’s clean-energy future: https://ow.ly/Agvj50Uwih4 (Photo above)
- Indigenous Services Canada gives environmental OK to Waheeba solar project proposed by Alexis First Nation in Alberta: https://ow.ly/1mMw50UwZ59
- Gitga’at First Nation in BC breaks ground on a wholly Indigenous-owned hydroelectric facility: https://ow.ly/Wvrr50Uxmnt
- Ontario First Nation goes to court to challenge underground nuclear-waste site: https://ow.ly/FXn150UxmzG
- Chief of Cold Lake First Nations in Alberta, supporting carbon-capture project, sides with Ottawa in province’s court challenge of the federal Impact Assessment Act: https://ow.ly/4LZp50UxmFU
- Ontario’s Hydro One is to buy 48% interest in a transmission line that has six First Nation partners: https://ow.ly/birS50UxWsN
ALSO IN THE NEWS
- Why BC needs the PRGT pipeline to feed natural gas to the Nisga’a Nation’s Ksi Lisims LNG project: ‘A win-win-win for Canadian families, governments, and the world.’ https://ow.ly/awIM50UvCSI
- View: Facing Trump tariffs, BC must approve the PRGT gas pipeline: https://ow.ly/sPEy50UyrU4
- China’s Sinopec oil and gas is reported in talks for LNG purchases from Cedar LNG — and a stake in it: https://ow.ly/nh3K50UxTuo. Pembina Pipeline said earlier it ‘will continue the process underway to assign its capacity in the Cedar LNG project to a third party.’ https://ow.ly/pu9T50UxTN9
- How Woodfibre LNG is protecting marine mammals through a monitoring program, and construction bubble curtains: https://ow.ly/JbcB50UuVX6
- Coastal Gaslink donates a helicopter rescue kit to North Peace Search and Rescue: https://ow.ly/j3hA50UvETG
- Ottawa’s proposed oil-and-gas emissions cap means higher costs and lost economic opportunity for Indigenous communities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/49vIYSG
EVENTS
- Future Fuels Forum to ‘explore the future of hydrogen and sustainable energy solutions.’ Prince George, Jan. 13-14: https://ow.ly/6Nki50TE83B
- 22nd Annual BC Natural Resources Forum, Jan. 14-16, Prince George: https://ow.ly/BajJ50Tr1aU
- Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Economic Outlook Forum, Jan. 30, Vancouver: https://ow.ly/s7bw50Ujkrp
- Petronas International Energy Speaker Series, Feb. 6, Calgary: https://ow.ly/EB0X50UvCIF
- National Coalition of Chiefs, Clean Energy Summit, Feb. 13-14, Tsuut’ina Nation, near Calgary: https://ow.ly/TT0350TYQyr
- Canadian Institute’s Western Indigenous Consultation & Engagement conference, Feb. 20-21, Edmonton: https://ow.ly/4MsG50TUBpb
- Assembly of First Nations, National Natural Resources Forum: March 12 – 13, Vancouver: https://ow.ly/76Aa50Uw5PX
- Canadian Gas Association Energy Security Summit, March 25-26, Ottawa: https://ow.ly/ozwT50TYNRA
- Nation2Nation Women’s Gathering, April 24-25, Kitimat BC: https://ow.ly/A8yo50SYpkv
- First Nations Major Projects Coalition, 8th annual conference, April 27–29, Toronto: https://ow.ly/jcSA50Ub44c
- National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association, Indigenous Prosperity Forum, May 7-8, Gatineau PQ. https://ow.ly/Ib2K50UyQ70
- Global Energy Show Canada, June 10-12, Calgary: https://ow.ly/f6lS50Uk1zW
- Ninth Indigenous Resource Opportunities Conference, June 18-20, Nanaimo BC: https://ow.ly/m1rW50SHvIp
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(Posted here 04 January 2025)