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Ute Tribal Reps Among Delegation Defending Oregon’s Jordan Cove Project

On Wednesday, a 16-person delegation made up of leadership from the Western States and Tribal Nations Initiative (WSTN) and their partners from the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) held a press conference to tout the economic and environmental benefits of Oregon’s Jordan Cove pipeline project. Speaking at a public hearing held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the commission of elected leaders minced no words when discussing the importance of this long-gestating project.

If completed, the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas pipeline would carry liquefied natural gas across 230 miles of Southern Oregon to an export terminal near the port town of Coos Bay. From there, precious LNG would be loaded onto transport ships bound for an array of international destinations. Experts suggest that the privately-funded project could generate more than $100 million in annual tax revenue for Oregon.

Of course, Oregon is a notoriously anti-energy state. In May, for example, the state legislature passed a 5-year moratorium on fracking of any kind. As a result of that seeming statewide mindset, the Jordan Cove project has hit more than a few snags (even though the LNG in question wouldn’t be extracted within Oregon’s borders).

The press conference was attended by a variety of officials representing both local governments; perhaps the most farsighted, however, came from the state’s Ute Tribal Business Committee. Though they did not attend the press conference, the UTBC issued the following statement

“The Tribe encourages support and collaboration to make the Jordan Cove LNG project a reality, because it will promote responsible environmental stewardship by producing cleaner-burning natural gas to be sold to countries across Asia that now use much dirtier fuels. At home, the project will advance tribal self-determination and boost economic development not only for our tribe, but for every community involved in the project.”

The verdict on Jordan Cove will likely be reserved for early in 2020.

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