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September 16, 2009

Baldacci: Canada unfair on LNG

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Gov. John Baldacci yesterday took the Canadian government to task for opposing plans for a liquefied natural gas terminal in eastern Maine.

Following the two-day 33rd annual Conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers that took place earlier this week in Saint John, N.B., Baldacci told the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal the Canadian government is unfairly rejecting LNG projects along the New Brunswick-Maine border without allowing U.S. federal regulators to study the proposals. Baldacci said the Ottawa officials are using "emotions and local politics" to frame their position and were ignoring the regulatory process. "It seems like Ottawa is sending signals that it is not going to adhere to the process through FERC [the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]," he told the paper.

The Canadian government recently reiterated its opposition to an LNG terminal in Robbinston on Passamaquoddy Bay currently under FERC review, but Baldacci said the Canadian province should instead file its complaints with FERC and let the regulator make a final decision.

During the two-day conference, the governors and premiers discussed a range of topics, including better cooperation in renewable energy, energy efficiency and a green economy.

 

Reader comments

From Robert Godfrey (Wed 9/16/2009 9:50 PM)

Baldacci's own "State of Maine Comprehensive Energy Plan 2008-2009" has not yet determined that LNG would be good for Maine, yet Baldacci is out lobbying for the industry.

Baldacci's own Energy Plan requires the state to conduct a year-long natural gas "dialogue" to "continue to explore the feasibility of the development of a LNG facility in Maine." In other words, to determine if LNG is something Maine should welcome, or not.

THAT STATE PROCESS HAS NOT YET BEGUN. If the process began today, a determination about LNG in Maine could not occur before mid-September 2010.

Additionally, since Congress gives the US Coast Guard the authority to deny or grant the use of the waterway (Canada's Head Harbour Passage and the Canadian portion of Passamaquoddy Bay) for LNG transits, and since sovereigns are equal, then Canada has that same authority.

Baldacci's claim that the United States has the authority to determine who can use Canada's waterway, but Canada does not is patently and legally flawed.

There are two sovereign governments involved in this issue. Canada has already made its determination that LNG in Passamaquoddy Bay would be unsafe to Canadians and the Canadian environment. The projects are effectively dead.

Baldacci is ...

1) Clearly out of line, both with Maine and with New Brunswick;
2) Abusing his own adminstration's energy policy; and
3) Accomplishing nothing but ill-will with New Brunswick.

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