MONTRÉAL, Nov. 7, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Gaz Métro is delighted to offer its support to the consultation process that will help develop Québec's new energy policy, as announced by Pierre Arcand , Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Plan Nord. Gaz Métro is particularly pleased that the Minister has placed a high priority on natural gas, renewable energy and energy efficiency to reduce the consumption of petroleum products in the industrial and transport sectors.

"Gaz Métro is thrilled with the idea of taking part in this exercise, and we intend to play an active role in the consultation process in order to share our expertise," says Stéphanie Trudeau, Vice President, Strategy, Communication and Sustainability at Gaz Métro. "We believe that no single energy source is capable of providing for all society's needs. This kind of approach is therefore critical to finding answers and implementing solutions that best meet Québec's environmental and economic imperatives."

Gaz Métro is committed to developing energy efficiency, natural gas and renewable energy resources to meet Québec's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets while fostering economic development.

Gaz Métro is a pioneer in energy efficiency, having collaborated on over 100,000 projects resulting in 722,000 tonnes of GHG emissions reductions. Thanks to these initiatives, Gaz Métro is poised to become the only one to achieve government reduction targets in 2015.

In partnership with the Gouvernement du Québec, Gaz Métro recently announced an increase in the capacity of its liquefaction, storage, and regasification (LSR) facility. This project will bring liquefied natural gas to regions located far from the gas network and supply LNG to the maritime and road transport sectors.

In addition, Gaz Métro continues to work on new and transformative energy solutions, such as renewable natural gas derived from organic materials.

The Government will draw upon several works to develop the new energy policy. This is the case of the Commission on Energy Issues in Québec (CEEQ), to which Gaz Métro participated and where natural gas is acknowledged for its contribution to Québec's sustainable economic development.

About Gaz MétroWith more than $5 billion in assets, Gaz Métro is a leading energy provider. It is the largest natural gas distribution company in Québec, where its network of over 10,000 km of underground pipelines serves 300 municipalities and more than 190,000 customers. Gaz Métro is also present in Vermont , producing electricity and distributing electricity and natural gas to meet the needs of more than 305,000 customers. Gaz Métro is actively involved in the development of innovative, promising energy projects such as the production of wind power, the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel and the development of biomethane. Gaz Métro is a major energy sector player that takes the lead in responding to the needs of its customers, regions and municipalities, local organizations, and communities while also satisfying the expectations of its Partners (GMi and Valener) and employees. www.gazmetro.com