B.C. premier remains confident in LNG despite energy market decline

VANCOUVER – Premier Christy Clark is defending her optimism over British Columbia's fledgling liquefied natural gas industry, despite growing First Nations protests and sinking international demand.

The premier delivered a keynote address to hundreds of government, industry and aboriginal stakeholders at the third annual International LNG in B.C. conference in Vancouver.

She says her political opponents accuse her of being too optimistic about the industry, but she's willing to roll up her sleeves to get the job done.

Clark says global energy demand will continue to grow and B.C. LNG represents a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, as the province has set the highest emissions benchmarks in the world.

The premier staked her government's future on LNG with promises of 100,000 new jobs and more than $100-billion in revenue over 30 years.

There are 20 LNG proposals in B.C., but they face numerous challenges including weakened Asian demand, low energy prices and threats of legal action from aboriginal groups.