liquefied natural gas (lng)

Hundreds of people gathered for a NO LNG paddle out.

LNG Home
Cabrillo Port
Clearwater Port

Beginning in the early 2000s, there was an influx of proposals to import liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) to the United States from other countries, as a means to increase our gas supplies. The idea of importing LNG was not new. In response to the “energy crisis” in the 1970’s, several industry proponents proposed to build LNG projects around the country, including California. In one of our first cases, EDC represented the Santa Barbara Indian Center in successfully opposing an LNG project at Pt. Conception.

As a means to deal with so many competing proposals, California passed a law requiring a comprehensive “siting” study to determine where it may be appropriate to locate an LNG facility, and to identify certain areas that should be off limits to such development.
Environmental opposition combined with market factors made LNG infeasible, however, and no projects were built in California.

Thirty years later, LNG re-surfaced. Once again, EDC took a leadership role in defeating the two projects in our area – the Cabrillo Port LNG project and the Clearwater Port LNG project.

WHAT IS LNG?

• LNG is natural gas that has been cooled (to around -160° Celsius) and condensed into its liquid form, for transport overseas by ships. LNG must be warmed up and “re-gasified” before it can be distributed to consumers. LNG exporting nations are many of the same that export oil.

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH LNG?

• LNG is a finite fossil fuel. Its use emits CO2 and aggravates global warming.
• Use of LNG means dependence on foreign countries for our electricity, heating and cooking fuels (like our dependence on foreign oil for transportation fuel).
• LNG causes air and water pollution, and impacts wildlife and the environment - from the places it is extracted and processed, to the coastal areas where it is imported and re-gasified.
• If LNG is released by an accident or deliberate terrorist attack, it may evaporate and explode, or burn at extremely high temperature. LNG accidents have caused serious loss of life and property around the world, including in the US.

DOES CALIFORNIA HAVE BETTER ALTERNATIVES?

• Energy conservation and efficiency could provide California with more than twice the energy supplied by one LNG terminal, without increasing our foreign dependence or aggravating global warming. In fact, expanding our use of climate-safe renewable energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal and biomass to levels already mandated by California State law would provide more than enough energy to meet projected demand. To the extent we need to rely on natural gas, existing American and Canadian natural gas supplies can more than meet California’s needs.