Unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin Territories [OTTAWA], March 6, 2025:
New polling conducted by Leger last weekend shows six in ten British Columbians oppose FortisBC bill increases to pay for pipelines that will feed LNG (liquified natural gas) export projects. Twice as many respondents oppose further rate hikes (57%) as those who support them (28%).
On January 1, 2025, FortisBC raised rates for the average residential customer by an extra $14.25 per month, in part to help fund pipeline expansion, such as the Eagle Mountain Pipeline project to supply gas to the Woodfibre LNG export facility. Rising construction costs could result in further bill hikes.
Much more severe effects on BC households may come when gas exports begin from the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat later this year. In Australia , domestic energy prices soared in the wake of LNG exports. A study from the US Department of Energy, published in December, showed that LNG exports drive up domestic prices and displace renewable energy, not coal—as is claimed by LNG boosters.
The BC government’s 2025-2026 budget, released this week, already predicts that gas prices will more than double.
“BC and Canada must learn from the painful mistakes other countries have made,” said John Young, Senior LNG Strategist at Climate Action Network Canada. “The FortisBC bill increases this winter are just the tip of the iceberg. LNG exports are bad for affordability, for our planet, and for our health. LNG exports are a risk we cannot afford , especially in light of the chaos unleashed by President Trump. We need to focus instead on expanding our renewable energy infrastructure to supply Canadians with stable, affordable energy.”
FortisBC is also facing a lawsuit from citizens and from environmental organizations for greenwashing and misleading the public with the goal of locking customers into using gas in their homes instead of electricity.
This BC poll follows national polling in February that showed strong public opposition towards US ownership of Canadian natural resources and fast-tracking the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Pipeline, which is backed by Wall Street investment firms with close ties to Donald Trump.
Methodology: The results for this research are based on online research conducted from February 28 to March 3, 2025, with a representative sample of 1,000 BC adults 18 years of age and older from Leger’s LEO panel.
The data was statistically weighted according to 2021 Canadian Census figures.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey, but for comparison purposes, a probability sample of 1,000 would have a margin of error of +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Vicky Coo, Communications Manager
comms@climateactionnetwork.ca