Madam Chair, the facts that the Member has just read out are consistent with the report that we provided. We agree with the Member completely. The challenge and the reason we are not pursuing changing over any of our current facilities to biomass at this time, is in the 16 communities that we are the provider of petroleum products, there isn’t actually demand for pellets now.
I know the obvious argument is, well, if you bring it, they will provide or they will utilize it, but in the meantime we would have facilities and structures that are sitting unused; whereas right now we have significant demands for the oil product in those 16 communities.
We have to make sure that those tanks are safe. We have to make sure that they are to code. We have to make sure that they are full so that people can have automotive and home fuel.
We have limited budgets. We need to continue to provide the product in those 16 communities that are currently in demand. We will continue as a government to do activities that will help us encourage people to utilize different product.
We ourselves are going down that road. We are turning over boilers to pellet and biomass on a regular basis. We have a Capital Asset Retrofit Fund. As the markets turn, we may get to a position where we are a provider of pellets or other biomass in those 16 communities, but we are not there yet. Right now there is no plan to change any of those communities into anything other than biomass. When they are, we will be in a position to change our product and meet their demand.
Right now, in PPD, we are the provider. We have to provide what the market is demanding. We have to make sure they have enough to get through our
long, cold winters and that they have enough fuel for their snow machines so that they can go hunting. We need to make sure that product is there, and we are committed to getting that product there safely, and we’re committed to storing it safely, and we’re committed to distribute it to the people in the communities safely.