As North American natural gas production winds down and the industry increasingly looks toward LNG as the next source of supply, natural gas prices will rise toward world market prices for LNG - about double what we pay now.  In the meantime, the U.S. administration is demanding that Canada dramatically step up oil production from Alberta tar sands, where one-sixth of Canada’s declining natural gas production is now consumed.
 
What does all of this have to do with Oregon’s energy and economic future?  There are two competing plans proposed to build a large scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) port facility in the Columbia River Estuary, and construct 200 miles of high pressure gas pipeline through the Willamette Valley and across the Cascades to get the gas to California. Once again, our energy economy would be tied to imports of overseas fossil fuels!

What are the social and environmental impacts of these projects, and what can we do about them? Find out more from Brenna Bell, Staff Attorney, Willamette Riverkeeper and Charlie Stephens, formerly with the Oregon Department of Energy.