The flawed decision to endorse National Grid’s plan moves the NESE pipeline forward, puts New Yorkers at risk, and charts a path toward a future we can’t afford
Environmental Advocates NY issued the following statement in response to the New York State Public Service Commission’s approval today of National Grid’s Long Term Gas Plan, which supports development of the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline project proposed to run underwater near New York City.
This statement can be attributed to Katherine Nadeau, Deputy Executive Director, Policy and Programs at Environmental Advocates NY:
“Today’s flawed decision by the PSC clears the path for the harmful and costly NESE Pipeline. It is a dangerous capitulation to President Trump’s anti-climate and anti-clean energy agenda, and it puts New Yorkers directly at risk.
“This project has already been rejected twice, and for good reason: it threatens our health and safety, our water and marine life, and our energy future. With every new pipeline approved, New York is further locked into a fossil-fuel future that we cannot afford. Yet the State appears set to approve a major project that National Grid’s own analysis shows is unnecessary – and to put the project’s costs on the backs of ratepayers. The PSC’s approval is a reckless step backward — at a moment when responsible climate action is under political threat and we need bold, ambitious leadership from the State to protect our communities and our planet. While the PSC’s decision today is a step in the wrong direction, the Department of Environmental Conservation can and must still follow the law. DEC must once again deny the water quality certification based on the harms DEC already identified from the pipeline.”
