This would be progress, I suppose, except that the progressives will block it again
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the devil made me do it
New York Approves Trump-Backed Gas Pipeline
NESE is set to be New York’s first new gas pipeline in at least a decade, and by far the state’s largest expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure since passing its flagship climate law in 2019.
The Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline had been rejected by environmental regulators three times but was revived this spring after talks between Hochul and Trump.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued crucial water permits for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, which it had rejected three times in the past.
At the same time, the DEC announced that the even larger Constitution pipeline, slated to cross New York into New England, would not move ahead. Both pipelines were priorities for President Donald Trump, who railed against Governor Kathy Hochul on social media earlier this week for moving too slowly on the projects.
“Environmental groups are likely [guaranteed — Ed] to sue.”
Climate advocacy groups pounced on the decision, calling it a betrayal.
“Hochul has shown New Yorkers she’d prefer to do Trump’s dirty work rather than protect our waterways from pollution,” said Laura Shindell, New York state director at Food & Water Watch. “She hasn’t kept her promises to fight against skyrocketing energy bills or the climate crisis. But New Yorkers will fight Hochul’s dirty pipeline every step of the way — alongside our communities — until it is stopped for good.”
“Governor Hochul is turning her back on the same agency scientists that determined the NESE pipeline would cause unacceptable degradation of water quality and marine life to NY waters just a few years ago,” said Roger Downs, conservation director of the Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter.
…. The DEC stated outright that the project is “inconsistent” with the emissions requirements of the state’s climate law, but said that mandate was overridden by energy regulators’ September finding that the pipeline was needed to maintain a reliable gas system downstate.
New Jersey environmental regulators swiftly followed DEC’s lead and issued their own approvals for the pipeline on Friday, allowing for its construction to begin.
The Non-Fossils have blocked new gas supplies for decades, and this one will undoubtedly suffer the same fate, but give Trump credit for trying; he read Hochul the riot act and threatened all sorts of nasty consequences if she continued her intransigence, and she buckled. But the courts and the state’s laws banning gas in new construction by 2027, the closure of gas-powered electric generating plants by 2030, and a 40% reduction in all gas use by 2030 will doom this pipeline, again.
Shocker:
Here’s an Albany TV interview with an opponent and proponent of the pipeline that actually gives each a full 7 minutes to explain their position. The opponent goes first, and the interviewer, to my mind, is sympathetic to his cause, but she then spends another seven minutes with a pipeline/gas industry spokesman and gives him a fair opportunity to state his case. Compared to the clips I’ve seen of national TV reporters’ interviews of those they disagree with, this woman does a fine job and performs a service to viewers — all 6 of them — who might like to understand the issues beyond headline depth and make up their own minds.
New York DEC approves natural gas pipeline; here are 2 differing viewpoints on it
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 of 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.
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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.