How an oil shutdown affects BC
The Trans-Mountain Pipeline dispute hasn’t cooled off despite Prime Minster Trudeau’s trip to meet with the Premiers of Alberta and British Columbia last weekend, and the federal government calling an emergency meeting to discuss what to do about the stalled project, and the tension it’s caused between jurisdictions.
The Alberta government tabled a bill this week which would allow for that province to close off energy supplies to the province of BC. Today, BC Attorney General David Eby said he doesn't believe Alberta will actually use the legislation, and it’s merely a bluff.
What if it isn’t a bluff?
What if common ground isn’t found and Kinder Morgan walks away from the project?
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO BC GAS PRICES?
“You’d be looking at increments of 10 cents per litre, over several days, depending on how much is being dialed back,” says Dan McTeague, analyst with GasBuddy. “Your main supplier has simply decided to pack it in, representing virtually all of the fuel you’re going to get, price may be a consideration. 30 or 40 cents per litre, but I’d be more concerned about not having any fuel at all.”
McTeague speculates on the type of snowball effect it could have on the BC economy, to dial back the main source of fuel, “Your economy will come to a grinding halt. That means forestry, that means mining, that means agriculture, that means transportation, public transportation and otherwise.”
May 31st is the deadline that was imposed by Kinder Morgan to find a resolution. If the dispute was put into a ‘doomsday clock’ scenario, McTeague says the pipeline expansion still has some time before midnight strikes, “I don’t think it’s that bad. I would’ve said (in February) that you’re 23 hours and 59 minutes away. I think you’re probably about 12 hours away (now).”
“You’ve got 44 days…..
