Commentary: Ferndale terminal LPG does not replace coal and other “dirty” energy sources and contributes to global warming.
Ed.: The essays, analyses and opinions presented as Community Voices express the perspectives of their authors on topics of interest and importance to the community, and are not intended to reflect perspectives on behalf of Salish Current.
A hearing begins Jan. 28 on appeals filed in September by a coalition of environmental groups on 33 projects proposed for the AltaGas Ferndale liquified petroleum gas — LPG — terminal. In September, the county shortcut the Environmental Impact Survey process by issuing AltaGas a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance, with Executive Satpal Sidhu claiming that the LPG is replacing coal and other “dirty” energy sources.
Sidhu’s rationale of a “greater environmental good” raises two issues. First, the LPG lifecycle environmental impacts from the extraction of crude oil and natural gas, through processing, transportation and end use. And second, the energy sources LPG is replacing.
LPG lifecycle environmental impacts
AltaGas’ sources its LPG from complex shale oil and natural gas formations in the U.S. and Canada via horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. LPG boosts oil and gas extraction rates by enhancing project economics, making more wells profitable, especially in shale where it’s produced alongside oil and gas. LPG isn’t just a byproduct; it’s a revenue stream and logistical enabler that unlocks more oil and gas resources, particularly in complex shale formations.
The technology of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking” set off a boom in oil and gas production across the U.S. and Canada starting in the early 2000s. In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said that “If extracted safely, natural gas is the ‘bridge fuel’ that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.”
As it turns out, “fracking right” is no easy thing. The widespread use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to extract oil and gas releases methane into the atmosphere through fugitive emissions, venting and flaring.
Methane is at the forefront as a potent greenhouse gas with 80 times the planet-cooking power of carbon dioxide from coal. Carbon dioxide from burning coal remains in the atmosphere for about 100 years relative to methane at about 20. By the mid-2020’s methane was the culprit behind nearly 30% of our planetary warming, with 40% of man-made methane emissions from the energy industry, most in the extraction and production of oil and natural gas.
Energy sources LPG replaces
In Asia Pacific countries, LPG is used primarily in residential cooking and heating to reduce air pollution. Natural gas and, more significantly, wind and solar, are the main drivers of the broader transition away from coal in the power sector.
In the early years of fracking, new natural gas power plants did displace some existing coal generation. However, globally, coal generation is being displaced primarily by renewable energy, which for the first time generated more electricity than coal in the first half of 2025. China also uses small, portable solar cookers and panels to displace coal and LPG for cooking in rural areas, with major projects distributing thousands of these devices to replace fossil fuels.
There is also a rapidly growing “bio” LPG market made from regional waste oil, biomass and residues that’s chemically identical — a “drop-in” fuel using existing infrastructure — but with significantly lower carbon intensity — 70-80% less than oil — driven by decarbonization goals.
For long-term climate goals like net-zero emissions by 2050 that some Asia Pacific countries have pledged, LPG cannot be the endgame on its own. Just as natural gas was viewed as a transition fuel away from coal in electricity generation, LPG is also considered a “transition fuel” useful for cutting pollution and some carbon in the near to medium term but eventually needing to give way to zero-emission technologies.
Conclusion
Because methane is short-lived in the atmosphere, methane plays a disproportionate role in putting the brakes on the climate emergency. Reducing methane emissions is the low-hanging fruit of the climate transition. In other words, the U.S. turned up the global heat fast with methane, and the U.S. can turn it down, quickly, by reducing fracking and oil and gas use in all its forms, including LPG. The local environmental risks of the Ferndale terminal LPG are not for a greater global environmental good and rather contribute significantly to greater global environmental harm.
— By Cynthia Mitchell
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Decision pending on Ferndale Terminal environmental review,” Jan. 13, 2026
• “High energy costs, delayed tax credit pose hurdles for PNW hydrogen hub project,” Aug. 12, 2024
• “Green hydrogen plans take shape for former Alcoa site at Cherry Point,” Jan. 24, 2024
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