The letter states that the plant generates approximately $130m annually for the local economy and provides 60 direct jobs and about 50 more indirect ones. As the only LNG export facility in the US, the plant also makes a positive contribution to the nation’s trade balance.
The letter further added that the Kenai plant performs a critical gas-storage function. The region produces more gas than is needed locally, creating a product available to export. However, due to inevitable production declines and the growth in Southcentral Alaska’s population, gas production rates soon may not be able to meet the peak winter demand.
Therefore, the letter shows urgency for the region to have the ability to store excess gas produced during low-demand times, and the ConocoPhillips Kenai facility is the only currently available method to store LNG.
