The British Columbia government’s recent decision to fast-track the North Coast Transmission Line (NCTL) has sparked significant opposition from health and environmental groups. Although promoted as a clean energy project, critics argue that much of the electricity will be directed to LNG facilities—fossil fuel operations that pollute and contribute to climate change. Polling data consistently shows British Columbians and Canadians overwhelmingly reject the use of taxpayer dollars to subsidize fossil fuel infrastructure.
Internal government documents reveal the province has requested that Ottawa cover 50 percent of the NCTL’s estimated $3 billion cost, naming LNG Canada Phase 2, Cedar LNG, and Ksi Lisims LNG among the main beneficiaries. Health experts and climate activists warn this amounts to greenwashing fossil fuels, risking public health and undermining B.C.’s climate commitments. They emphasize that clean electricity should power hospitals, homes, and genuinely sustainable industries—not prop up fossil fuel extraction and export.
Critics further caution that this project locks B.C. into decades of fossil fuel dependence and primarily benefits foreign corporations. They urge the government to redirect investments towards clean energy that supports people and the environment, calling for urgent action to meet climate goals rather than enabling further fossil fuel expansion under the guise of electrification.
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