Thank You for Your Support; It Truly Matters
What a ride the past few months have been. Our industry seems to have been on a supersonic roller coaster with no end and a high admission fee.
The main G-force of that roller coaster has been the environmental assessment process for the Bay du Nord project. Every Energy NL member was keenly aware of the importance of this project for our industry and for our province. For many members, waiting on approval of the environmental assessment has been an emotional experience as so much was riding on the decision. While at Energy NL we were confident in the merits of the project and environmental assessment approval, we wanted to ensure we did our due diligence and kept decision makers aware of the importance of the project and why it should be approved. We did our work in a quiet, yet coordinated fashion, in cooperation with elected officials such as Premier Furey and Minister Parsons, as well as Minister O’Regan. They deserve recognition for the tremendous commitment they have to the project and their efforts to highlight its many benefits, both environmental and economic.
I also do not think it would have been possible to get to this point without the support of Energy NL members and our many supporters throughout the country. So many of you stepped up and offered your support for the project. You wrote your elected officials, you shared why this project is important to you, your organization, your family, and your community. You did so on social media, during meetings, and at dinner tables. Over 400 of you provided your logo to be included with our letter to the Prime Minister outlining why the project should receive approval. You stepped up for your industry, and you were successful. For that, you deserve recognition and thanks. You deserve the Bay du Nord project.
I would also like to thank members for the confidence you have shown in Energy NL throughout this process. While we know this was a difficult time, and a great deal of our actions were behind the scenes, you remained steadfast in your support of our approach and our ability to help see this project over the line. Knowing that our members believe in our advocacy efforts – our fact-based and consensus building approach – allows us to do our work on your behalf and achieve positive results. Again, on behalf of the Energy NL Board of Directors and staff, I thank you for trusting us to work for you.
Amid our advocacy for the Bay du Nord project we also launched our new vision, mandate, and name. Energy NL was enthusiastically received by our members, our partners, and the public when officially unveiled on March 22. It has placed our association in the leading position to advocate for our members participation in the renewable and clean energy sectors, while also ensuring we stay keenly focused on our primary industry, the offshore. I believe our launch occurred at a critical period and demonstrated the commitment of our members to be leaders in the energy evolution. Again, thank you for your participation and engagement throughout the consultation process and for supporting the evolution of our association. I believe we are now stronger than ever, with a bright future for our energy sector ahead of us.
I look forward to continuing to work for and with our members as we move toward the sanctioning of Bay du Nord by Equinor, and the tremendous benefits it will bring Energy NL members, our province, and our country.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Charlene
