New York is in an unparalleled position to be a hero and help millions of families and businesses — if it heeds President Donald Trump’s call to build the Constitution Pipeline.
The pipeline would route natural gas to New England and could save New Englanders $1 billion in energy costs while providing more reliable energy than renewable energy. By permitting the project, New York would also tremendously benefit through cost savings and boosted economic development.
On March 13, Trump reignited interest in the Constitution Pipeline, calling on New York to approve the project because it would create jobs and “save per family, $2,500 just on heating and another $2,500 on everything else.” He reiterated his point on Truth Social, noting, “We only need the final approval from New York State, whose people all want it,” and emphasizing he would seek “federal approval” if the state continues to block the pipeline.
Though the president and Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul did discuss the project in a March 14 meeting, no agreement was reached. Yet Gov. Ned Lamont, D-Conn., who is typically not receptive to Trump’s actions, has been willing to collaborate with him on this issue to “dramatically” reduce electricity rates. Additionally, the Williams Companies — which owns the pipeline — expressed interest in reviving the project.
Environmentalism’s Costs
The project was blocked in 2020, after years of legal battles. Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeased environmental activists by blocking the 124-mile pipeline, which would have brought gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale into existing pipelines that supply New England.
These activists have also successfully pressured the Empire State to be the first to “ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in most new buildings,” according to the American Energy Alliance.
Currently, several New England states are poised to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050, opting to overhaul their infrastructures to renewable energy such as wind and solar.
But according to a November 2024 joint report by a group of think tanks, compliance with such net-zero efforts would cost $815 billion to upgrade the region’s energy grid. New England would need to construct the equivalent of 12,000 wind turbines and 129 million solar panels.
Implementing these changes risks energy instability, with the report predicting prolonged rolling blackouts, as the grid may not be able to power the region within 11 years. For vulnerable populations — the elderly, the sick, and those relying on medical devices such as dialysis machines — power outages are not just inconvenient; they’re life-threatening. A more unreliable grid means more fatalities, especially in the harsh winter months.
Expensive Energy
Other than Hawaii, some of the nation’s highest residential and business electricity rates are in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island.
More than 48 percent of the region’s electricity was generated at natural gas-fired power plants in 2023, and 3.1 million residents rely on it to heat and cool their homes. However, states like Connecticut have no liquefied natural gas (LNG) reserves, and importing LNG from other U.S. ports is near impossible due to restrictions from the Jones Act, which blocks foreign-flagged ships from transporting goods between U.S. ports. In fact, it’s cheaper to import foreign natural gas than LNG domestically.
Northeast lawmakers need to invest in practical innovation and energy prosperity, and give residents peace of mind through lower energy bills.
It’s time to remove restrictive environmental barriers that will leave people in the cold — and the literal dark.
Carol Platt Liebau is the president of Yankee Institute, a Connecticut-based public policy organization.
Jesus Christ is King
Comments are closed.