Evidence of meeting #34 for Natural Resources in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was carbon.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Mark Zacharias  Special Advisor, Clean Energy Canada
Michael Wolinetz  Partner and Senior Analyst, Navius Research Inc.
Don O'Connor  President, S&T Squared Consultants Inc.
Bora Plumptre  Senior Analyst, Federal Policy, The Pembina Institute

2:55 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Right.

Do you see this as something that Canada could develop as a future feedstock for our natural gas consumption, or will natural gas consumption decline, as we heard earlier in this hearing? I'm just wondering what the future of this is for the country—and for the world, for that matter.

2:55 p.m.

President, S&T Squared Consultants Inc.

Don O'Connor

We use an awful lot of natural gas, so it would take us quite some time to switch from forest residues to supply all of our fossil and natural gas. There's been a request for proposals to do a study in B.C. to look at the market potential of RNG from all sources. I don't believe there are enough forest residues today to displace our current natural gas use.

3 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Does Mr. Wolinetz want to jump in and add anything?

3 p.m.

Partner and Senior Analyst, Navius Research Inc.

Michael Wolinetz

If you wanted to fully decarbonize your gas stream, there wouldn't be enough forestry residue. You'd have to reduce the amount of natural gas you're using, produce renewable natural gas from a variety of feedstocks, including forest residue, and likely supplement it with hydrogen.

3 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Thanks very much.

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal James Maloney

Thank you, Mr. Cannings.

I appreciate that, and everybody accommodating us with the time.

If everybody could stick around for two minutes, I want to thank the witnesses. That was a very interesting panel, to say the least, and incredibly informative. We're all very grateful, so thank you.

We are almost done this study, but if MPs can stick around for a moment, our guests can leave.

3 p.m.

Senior Analyst, Federal Policy, The Pembina Institute

Bora Plumptre

Thank you for having us.

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal James Maloney

It's our pleasure.

3 p.m.

Conservative

Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB

Thanks for coming, everyone.

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal James Maloney

Monday is our eighth and final meeting of this study. We're going to have 90 minutes with witnesses. We'll then go in camera for 30 minutes of drafting instructions. The revised agenda has just gone out within the last half hour.

That said, we are at the end of the session and things are moving and changing by the minute. I don't know what's going to happen on Monday. In the event that for some reason our meeting gets scuttled on Monday, I want to thank all members of this committee. It's been a real pleasure working with every one of you.

We said at the outset that this committee works well together. It has proven to be true throughout. Even when we disagree, we do it respectfully. I'm constantly reminded of this every time I go to another committee. For that, thank you to all of you.

I also want to thank all of the people who make these meetings happen, our translators, all of the staff, our clerk and analysts. You guys hold all of this together. We do a lot of talking, with a lot of different ideas on different things, and you put it all together, make it work and make it run smoothly. For that, we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude, so thank you.

If I have an opportunity, and we're here on Monday, I will say it again, but we do all appreciate it.

On that note, I hope to see you on Monday. Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

3 p.m.

Conservative

Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, in addition to echoing all of your thanks, do we need half an hour for instructions on Monday, or would 15 minutes suffice?

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal James Maloney

It probably would. We can build in a safety valve. If we end up going a bit over an hour and a half with the witnesses, there's always a bit of transition time between the public and in camera sessions. It will probably work out closer to that, Greg.

3 p.m.

Conservative

Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB

Thank you.

3 p.m.

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON

Have a good weekend, everyone.

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal James Maloney

The meeting is adjourned.