Atlantic Energy Gateway Aimed in the Wrong Direction

SAINT JOHN, NB--Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, is less than impressed with Federal Minister Peter MacKay's announcement of 4 million dollars toward what he calls the Atlantic Energy Gateway.  "It is a gateway to nowhere," said May.  "Not only is the amount of money laughably small, but the focus is irresponsibly on large and damaging mega-projects fuelled by fossil fuels and uranium and energy for export.  The costs of this kind of economic growth outweigh its benefits."

The federal government is supporting an effort to increase exports of electricity and fossil fuels from Atlantic Canada to the U.S. through what is being called the Northeast Energy Corridor through New Brunswick and Maine, including refined petroleum products from a new Irving refinery, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Nova Scotia, electricity from a new nuclear plant at Point Lepreau, hydropower from mega-project Lower Churchill Falls, as well as wind.

The Green Party of Canada knows that what the federal government needs to be doing is supporting a transition in the region from its extreme dependence on fossil fuels to renewables.  Atlantic Canada is in an ideal position to lead the country in integrating high levels of distributed sources of renewable energy.  This means energy that is truly sustainable, such as wood pellets, wind, hydro, solar, tidal, and biogas.

"Atlantic Canada already has the biggest carbon footprint per capita in the country after Alberta and Saskatchewan, and is precariously dependent on importing huge amounts of bloody oil from countries in conflict, and to a lesser extent bloody coal, which means exporting billions of dollars to repressive countries in return," said Jim Stephenson, Energy Critic for the Green Party of Canada.  "The imperative is to get rid of our fossil fuel plants, avoid another oil refinery and stop Lepreau 2."

MacKay proposes to host an Atlantic energy summit which brings together the four premiers and the energy companies to flesh out this 1960's mega-project-fueled growth strategy across the region.  "This is just more of the same from years ago," said Ms. May.  "What Atlantic Canada needs is investment in community energy.  The ideas are there, we just need action."

The Green Party would invest money into support for Efficiency New Brunswick, Conserve Nova Scotia, the PEI Office of Energy Efficiency, allowing them to fully tap the energy efficiency potential in the region, embedded in old inefficient homes, buildings and industries.  A smart grid and better interconnections between the Maritime provinces to maximize the development of distributed renewable resources, such as gasified wood cogeneration, wind, biogas and solar, also needs investment.  Community wind that returns the revenue to the community owners, rather than foreign corporations, as PEI is trying to do, would benefit from government support.

"There is so much we could be doing and time is running out.  Outmoded proposals like this gateway one are extremely frustrating."

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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca