The Conservation Council spoke with media outlets in New Brunswick following the announcement on Thursday that Montreal-area mayors are officially opposed to TransCanada’s proposed Energy East project.
“We agree that creating jobs is a major priority for our province, and this announcement is another signal that we should turn the page toward a better plan to create jobs today, and that’s through energy efficiency and clean power,” Executive Director Lois Corbett told the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal.
“The oil pipeline is a false promise for New Brunswickers — fewer than 100 permanent jobs will be made here,” Corbett continued. “On the other hand, we already know that supporting energy efficiency programs creates immediate work and immediate returns — in New Brunswick, for example, every $1 invested by government in energy efficiency programming resulted in $7 of local economic activity.”
Speaking to French-language newspaper L’acadie Nouvelle, Fundy Baykeeper Matt Abbott said the Montreal-area mayors’ announcement was not surprising because TransCanada is pushing a project that is unsafe and unnecessary.
He said the pipeline proposal carries too much risk for people, existing jobs, wildlife and the natural environment, especially when there is so much untapped job creation potential in New Brunswick through energy efficiency and clean power.