On Friday, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a permit allowing for the construction of the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline.
This vessel would bring gas from Pennsylvania to Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) cited the state’s energy needs and said it is taking an “all-of-the-above” approach.
“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,” Hochul said.
“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,” she added.
The decision comes after New York’s grid operator recently warned that the state could soon face reliability challenges.
The permit’s approval move met with pushback from some Democrats in the state.
“I am profoundly disappointed by New York State’s decision to approve the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) fracked-gas pipeline. This project was rejected three times in the past for failing to meet the state’s own water-quality standards, and nothing about the project has changed,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.
The state’s decision comes after Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said earlier this year that Hochul expressed “willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity.”
That comment came as Hochul announced she was able to save an offshore wind project by working with the Trump administration.
However, her office said at the time that “no deal on any natural gas pipeline was reached.”
Read more at TheHill.com.
