British Columbia Conservatives Pledge to Double LNG Output by 2032
Key Facts
The Conservatives won British Columbia’s election, ending 9 years of New Democratic Party rule and securing the party’s first provincial election victory since 1928, according to Reuters. The win puts the party’s energy pledges at the center of the incoming government’s agenda, with results remaining preliminary until the final count is complete. In his victory speech, party leader Lorne Doerkson said, "I believe in energy... We will cut red tape like never before." The comment reflects the party’s push to ease regulation, while carrying out its plan will depend on decisions by the incoming government and the projects needed to expand output. Campaign polling also showed voters focused on the cost of living, health care and the trade war with the United States.
Reuters describes the Conservatives’ pledge as doubling natural gas production by 2032 and increasing it to more than three times its current level by 2035. The party’s official plan sets out a differently worded target: doubling liquefied natural gas production by 2032 and tripling it by 2035. The distinction between natural gas and liquefied natural gas is necessary when presenting the two targets, because the sources state them differently. The information available did not include an annual path for meeting the party’s targets or an estimate of current output. The Conservatives said, according to Reuters, that they would contact energy companies that left the province’s LNG sector since 2018, including Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Woodside. This is a party pledge to make contact and does not establish that any of the companies have agreed to return or invest in new projects.
The expansion of the LNG Canada project in Kitimat provides an existing example of sector investment. On September 28, 2026, the company announced a final investment decision for Phase 2, which will double its production capacity from 14 to 28 million tonnes a year. The phase includes two additional LNG processing units, along with an expansion of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through the construction of 5 new compressor stations. The existing project provides practical context for discussions about increasing LNG exports from the province, but it is separate from the Conservatives’ election pledges. The LNG Canada expansion alone is also insufficient to establish that the party’s production targets will be met. Broader expansion remains dependent on progress on new projects and the infrastructure needed to transport gas.
One proposed project is Ksi Lisims LNG, whose plan targets exports of 12 million tonnes a year to Asia-Pacific markets. The British Columbia government had expected a final investment decision in 2026 and construction to begin in 2027. The government also announced an agreement under which Germany’s SEFE will buy 1 million tonnes a year for up to 20 years, with deliveries expected to begin in the early 2030s. The agreement gives the project a publicly announced commercial path, while the investment and construction dates on the project page remain government expectations. Neither the agreement nor the project schedule alone settles whether the Conservatives’ production targets will be met. Subsequent implementation and investment steps remain key milestones for the project.
The election followed Premier David Eby’s decision to call it two years early, saying the trade war and U.S. threats had changed conditions enough to justify an early vote. The election had been scheduled for October 24, 2026. In calling for less reliance on the U.S. market, Eby said the province’s exports to the United States had fallen 4%, while exports to other markets had risen 16%. The two parties also campaigned on different positions on energy projects: the New Democrats opposed new oil pipelines and supported a ban on oil tankers off the province’s north coast. The dispute puts energy policy within the province’s political shift, alongside debate over trade and overseas markets. Campaign polling showed that the cost of living, health care and the trade war were among the issues that concerned voters.
The electoral agency said the published results were preliminary and that the initial count did not include some mail-in ballots, absentee ballots and assisted telephone votes. The agency set November 6, 2026, as the start of the final count, while its schedule showed the count running from November 6 to 10. It also set November 18 as the date for returning election writs. These electoral steps will clarify the final distribution of results before the transition of power is complete. Once the results are confirmed, delivery of the energy pledges will depend on the decisions and projects advanced by the new government.