Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a permit Friday advancing a major gas pipeline to pump more fuel into New York City.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) issued a vital water permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline Friday, in a reversal from its previous rejections, according to NYSDEC. The project has been hotly contested by some Congressional New York Democrats, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others urging Hochul to consider the environmental impacts of the pipeline on Oct. 15.
“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 in a statement, according to multiple reports. “We need to govern in reality. We are facing 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.”
If the project is completed, the underwater pipeline will span almost 24 miles, transporting natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to sections of New York City, according to NYSDEC. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also reportedly issued needed permits, Commissioner Shawn LaTourette told Politico.
The project may still require other permitting permissions, with NYSDEC noting that the developer “is required to develop a Dredge Management Plan, which will be subject to NYSDEC approval and must include detailed adaptive management techniques should any actual or imminent exceedance of total suspended sediments occur.”
New York has higher utility bills than average, and its commitment to intermittent green energy technology like wind and solar decreased the state power grid’s reliability, experts previously explained to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
President Donald Trump blasted Hochul for high New York energy costs on Truth Social on Monday, writing that she “is killing the entire region with Energy Prices that are OUT OF CONTROL, and expected to TRIPLE because she can’t get an Upstate and, separately, Long Island, PIPELINE built.”
The Trump administration pushed for more East Coast pipelines in May and reportedly lifted a work-stop order on a major offshore wind farm in exchange for Hochul’s pipeline approval, according to the Washington Free Beacon. However, Hochul’s team denied that any official deal was made, the DCNF previously reported.
While the Biden administration pushed for intermittent resources like wind and solar, cracking down on conventional resources like coal, oil and gas, the Trump administration pulled federal support for some green energy sources and looked to bolster resources like nuclear, coal and geothermal among others.
Notably, Hochul also looked to embrace nuclear energy after the state shuttered the Indian Point nuclear plant in 2021.
Hochul’s office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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