After years of rejections and protests, a very controversial natural gas pipeline was approved.
The New York State DEC officially approved a key water quality permit for the long-disputed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline.
Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline Approved
The $1 billion natural gas project that will run from Pennsylvania to Queens through the floor of New York Bay.
Last month, many in the Hudson Valley and across New York protested the natural gas project.
New Yorkers against the pipeline fear a deal between the President and the state would fast-track permits for Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement and Constitution pipelines, which opponents say have a reprehensible safety record.
Pipeline Rejected Several Times
The pipeline has been rejected multiple times in the past over environmental concerns.
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Gov. Hochul’s administration says this time is different. Officials say that updated conditions and stricter mitigation measures mean the project now meets state water quality standards.
Hochul Backs Pipeline
New York Governor Hochul Makes an Announcement
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Hochul says she’s backing the pipeline because of New York’s energy needs. She says keeping the lights on and heat on is a “top priority,” adding New York faces a “potential energy shortages downstate” as early as the Summer of 2026, as soon as next summer,” Hochul said.
“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,” she said.
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The approval came shortly after President Donald Trump publicly urged states to fast-track pipeline projects, and just as Hochul celebrated saving a major offshore wind project.
While Hochul denies any backroom deal, environmental advocates say the optics are troubling.
A coalition of environmental groups has filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the project.
If construction moves forward, the 37-mile pipeline could be completed by the end of 2027
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