There is money to be made in LNG importing, gassifying and distribution. Prices are only going up and like it or not, winter's coming. As long as there is money to be made - however far in the future - they will find a way to build this plant.
In a statement Friday, the company said, "Compass Port remains an attractive location and the decision on whether or not to proceed with the re-filing of the application will be made after consideration of all the economic factors." If ConocoPhillips decides not to go on with the project, another energy company may well seize the opportunity.
Gov. Riley would not take the chance that an open-loop terminal would do lasting damage to the Gulf Coast marine environment and to Alabama's fishing and seafood industries. While ConocoPhillips pledged to do no environ-
mental harm (and even offered the state some handsome economic incentives if Gov. Riley blessed the proposal), the scientific evidence is inconclusive.
Government agencies, scientists and energy corporations have debated the question of environmental damage, and federal fisheries agencies oppose the open-loop system. It is possible that the extent of the damage might not be proven until Alabama's redfish harvest declined by more than 36 percent, for example.
Until valid scientific studies can prove the seawater reheating process won't disturb coastal ecology, the closed-loop system of burning natural gas to reheat the LNG is preferable, albeit more expensive for the terminal operator.