California:LNG And Clean Energy Laws Go Head To Head

LNG and Clean Energy Laws on a Collision Course in California, According to New Report

Contact: Rory Cox, California Program Director – Ph. 415.399.8850 x302 or rcox@pacificenvironment.org

A PDF version of “Collision Course” can be downloaded at http://www.pacificenvironment.org/article.php?id=2710.

San Francisco – A report released today details how efforts to import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) into the West Coast will undermine California’s laws and policies intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy development. The report, Collision Course: How Imported Liquefied Natural Gas Will Undermine Clean Energy in California, also provides policy solutions towards a clean energy future for California.

The comprehensive report details the severe environmental, economic and energy security implications of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the West Coast. At its core, the report finds that importing Liquefied Natural Gas is not compatible with California’s clean energy commitment.

The report finds:
Meeting the state’s renewable and energy efficiency goals requires that all additional electric generation, as well as most replacement of aging generators, built between now and 2020 come from renewable sources.
New research demonstrates that the greenhouse gas emissions from LNG, when considering the entire lifecycle of production, transportation and combustion, are often as bad as coal.
Building new fossil fuel infrastructure to supply LNG binds California to a multi-billion dollar investment. This investment requires a minimum 20 year commitment of fuel purchases by utilities, and likely longer. LNG is not a transition fuel to renewables; LNG will heighten our dependence on foreign fossil fuels for yet another generation.
LNG will compete directly with, and likely undermine, renewable energy and energy efficiency programs in California.
Sufficient natural gas supply exists in North America to meet California’s declining natural gas usage for the next several decades. This fuel burns cleaner and is more reliable than imported LNG, and we should not lock the state to a new foreign fossil fuel because of false scare tactics – propagated by the energy industry – that California needs new sources of natural gas. Responsible and efficient use of North American supplies, while cleaner alternatives are developed, is the best course.
Despite a state Energy Action Plan promoting conservation and renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, California’s regulatory agencies instead favor increased natural gas dependence.
While California has an ambitious policy of getting 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 33 percent by 2020, the state is far behind in achieving these goals.
The scale of financial commitment implied by LNG is similar in size to what is required to meet the state's clean energy goals, but LNG carries much higher environmental, financial, national security and public safety risks.

About Pacific Environment: Pacific Environment protects the living environment of the Pacific Rim. We coordinate the coalition Ratepayer for Affordable Clean Energy (RACE), which has been working with community leaders, elected officials, environmentalists, scientists and economists throughout the West Coast to prevent California’s clean energy goals from being derailed. Over 25 organizations have joined RACE to take a stance against LNG including Environment California, Greenpeace and Center for Biological Diversity.