The Province of British Columbia expects its LNG industry to take flight in 2015 as it expects developers to make final investment decisions on several projects.
According to the Minister of Natural gas development, Rich Coleman, as many as 100,000 new jobs could be created through diversification with the natural gas sector.
First Nations also stand to gain from the promise of LNG with the finalization of many new benefit agreements in 2015, similar to the one recently signed with the Nisga’a Nation that allows them to collect property tax on their land for industrial operations.
Coleman added that over the last year, the Province has put in place a competitive policy framework that defines the playing field. The LNG income tax framework gives companies the certainty they need to make investment decisions, while legislation has been passed to establish greenhouse gas emission targets that will make B.C. LNG facilities the cleanest in the world.
B.C. currently has 18 proposals for LNG export operations while five have been issued the Environmental Assessment certificates.
Coleman further said that realizing British Columbia’s LNG goal will take time, and a lot has already been achieved with more than 13,000 people employed in the sector.
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LNG World News Staff; Image: gov.bc.ca