Downstate New York is closer to seeing the build-out of a new pipeline. After denying a water quality permit for the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement natural gas pipeline multiple times, the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation announced on Friday that the permit had been approved.
The pipeline will transport fracked gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey and under the ocean floor off the coast Long Island. Once built, the pipeline is expected to pump enough gas to serve 2.3 million homes in New York City, Staten Island and Long Island.
The story behind the pipeline’s approval is interesting.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump had threatened to shut down a wind power project off the coast of Long Island. After a conversation with Gov. Kathy Hochul that may or may not have included an agreement to consider two gas pipelines, he allowed the wind power project to continue. Hochul has said there was no deal with the president.
Notably, only one of the two pipelines was approved on Friday; the other, the Constitution Pipeline, has not been given the green light.
Capital Tonight spoke with two energy experts about the DEC’s approval of the Northeast Supply Enhancement: Rich Schrader, a member of the board of Frack Action, who is critical of the project, and Gavin Donohue, the president & CEO of IPPNY, Independent Power Producers of New York, Inc., who supports it.
In response to a request for comment, Gov. Hochul’s team emailed the following statement to Capital Tonight, attributed to the governor:
“As Governor, a top priority is making sure the lights and heat stay on for all New Yorkers as we face potential energy shortages downstate as soon as next summer. We need to govern in reality. We are facing a war against clean energy from Washington Republicans, including our New York delegation, which is why we have adopted an all-of-the-above approach that includes a continued commitment to renewables and nuclear power to ensure grid reliability and affordability. And while I have expressed an openness to natural gas, I have also been crystal clear that all proposed projects must be reviewed impartially by the required agencies to determine compliance with state and federal laws. I am comfortable that in approving the permits, including a water quality certification, for the NESE application, the DEC did just that. DEC used that same standard for the proposed Constitution pipeline project and found it did not meet the bar for completeness to advance and the application was subsequently withdrawn.”