The government has announced its commitments to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in Taranaki as a critical step to strengthen New Zealand’s energy security and apparently save Kiwi households $50 each year. It wants to have a contract signed and approvals rushed through enabling legislation before the election. But is it really such a great idea?

Local community groups Taranaki Energy Watch, Climate Justice Taranaki and Community Energy Taranaki jointly invite you to our webinar where we will examine the government’s LNG plan under these key areas of concern:

Risks to human safety
Implications on our energy system, electricity pricing and geopolitical volatility
Departure from climate obligations and evidence-based decisions
Comparisons with alternatives

Speakers:

Steve Goldthorpe, Sustainable Energy Forum

Steve is an energy systems analyst, who has been involved in commentary on LNG issues for over a decade. He will set the scene of the global trade in LNG, in particular;
- The main producers and consumers of LNG
- The technical challenges of shipping and storing LNG
- The marginal supplier of LNG being fracked gas from the USA
- Strategies for responding to declining gas resources

Sarah Roberts, Taranaki Energy Watch

Sarah is the spokesperson for Taranaki Energy Watch. She has been involved in successful Environment Court cases for more than a decade relating to new and existing significant hazardous facilities including oil and gas in Taranaki. She will speak about land use planning and the potential fatality and injury consequences and risks of the siting of an LNG import facility for our communities and why we should be concerned.

Laura MacKay, Energy workstream lead, Lawyers for Climate Action

Laura will speak in particular around:
- a lack of transparency and consultation from the Government in relation to the process and advice behind its decision-making
- a number of risks that appear to have been overlooked by the Government in its decision-making process
- the potential impact of the LNG import facility on New Zealand's domestic and international climate obligations

Nicole Kirkham, Data Analyst and LNG lead, Rewiring Aotearoa

Nicole will cover:
- Why the Government is investing in LNG.
- The nature of the dry year security problem.
- What are the alternatives?
- Strategic context for making this decision.

Format

Our speakers will each give us their ten minute pitch of why importing LNG is a bad idea. They will then take questions as panelists and discuss any key points of interest.

Jointly organised by:

Taranaki Energy Watch, Climate Justice Taranaki and Community Energy Taranaki

Contact the host of Webinar: Why importing LNG is a bad idea?