New York just greenlit a controversial underwater gas pipeline, and the political fallout is already surfacing. (Axios)
What happened: Last Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration granted permits for Williams Companies’ Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project, linking Pennsylvania gas to New York. The 2017 proposal, long stalled by opposition, also won the nod from New Jersey regulators the same day.
The politics: Hochul defended the move as a practical step to avoid downstate energy shortages next summer, calling it part of an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy. Environmental groups and progressive Dems accused her of betraying state climate goals, while GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik called her a “hypocrite.”
Attention now turns to Williams’ Constitution pipeline, a separate proposal that New York has repeatedly blocked—which could become the next flashpoint in the state’s balancing act between climate ambition and energy security.