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Iroquois Gas Enhancement by Compression Project Approved by FERC

The Iroquois Gas Transmission pipeline project called the Enhancement by Compression (ExC) increases horsepower at three compression stations–two in New York and one in Connecticut–by an extra 125 MMcf/d, flowing more Marcellus/Utica gas into New York City and New England (see Despite Antis’ Best Efforts, More NatGas Coming to New England). The ExC project is supposed to begin construction in spring 2023 and be placed in service by November of 2023. Yesterday, in a surprise move, the five commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) voted to approve the project. It’s a miracle!
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Bechtel Completes Gas-Fired Cricket Valley Energy Center in NY

The Cricket Valley Energy Center team celebrates project completion while complying with COVID-19 social distancing requirements

Even while maintaining social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bechtel has managed to complete a 1,100-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant in Dover (Dutchess County), New York. The new Cricket Valley Energy Center will generate enough electricity to power one million New York homes.
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Antis Go Criminal – 29 Arrested for Blocking Work on NY Power Plant

Anti-fossil fuel nutters who so often turn to criminal activity in the name of “protecting” the planet have struck again–this time at the Cricket Valley Energy Center in Dutchess County, NY. The natural gas-fired power plant is nearing completion and with every rivet punched and bolt that gets turned, it drives the nutters even more insane than they already are. Some 29 protesters, some of them not local, were arrested by Dutchess County sheriff’s deputies on Saturday for blocking the entrance to the facility. Four of them climbed a 275-foot smokestack to hang banners. We have the names and ages of all 29 who broke the law.
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NY Tries to Change the Game re Hudson Valley Gas-Fired Plant

In October 2012, after a rigorous review by New York’s Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Cricket Valley Energy Center in Dutchess County was accepted and approved. Construction of the 1,100 megawatt plant (to fed by PA Marcellus gas) began in July 2017 (see Second NY NatGas-Fired Elec Plant Breaks Ground in Hudson Valley) and is due to be completed early next year. Now New York State is trying to change the rules in the middle of the game and undercut the new plant by running huge, ugly new above-ground transmission lines to feed “renewable” power to downstate, bypassing (in part) the electricity that will come from the Cricket Valley plant.
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Neighbors of Almost Completed NY Gas-Fired Plant Want New Study

Cricket Valley Energy Center (concept drawing)

In October 2012, after a rigorous review by New York’s Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) during the State Environmental Quality Review, the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submitted by Cricket Valley Energy Center in Dutchess County was accepted and approved. Construction of the 1,100 megawatt plant (to fed by PA Marcellus gas) began in July 2017 (see Second NY NatGas-Fired Elec Plant Breaks Ground in Hudson Valley) and is due to be completed early next year. As it gets close to completion, anti-fossil fuel neighbors from across the street are asking the DEC to perform a new study of the facility before allowing it to start operation. They’re making outrageous claims that gas-fired plants may cause autism.
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Radicals Protest NatGas-Fired Electric Plant in Dutchess Co., NY

James Cromwell – gas protester (and actor)

We recently brought you the news of four supposedly grown men (in their 30s to 50s) engaging in criminal activity in order to block delivery of large gas turbines to the Cricket Valley Energy Center project in Dover (Dutchess County), NY (see 4 Protesters Arrested in CT for Blocking Gas-Fired Turbine Shipment). In what appears to be a Big Green organized protest, some of the same people who have protested other gas plant projects showed up to mouth off about the Cricket Valley project.
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Dutchess County, NY NatGas Power Plant Begins Construction

Artist’s rendering of Cricket Valley Energy Center project – click for larger version

We who live in New York State live under a dictatorship. Our governor, Andrew Cuomo, has been co-opted by radical environmentalists. He recently stated he would autocratically block any/all new natural gas pipelines AND any/all new gas-fired electric plants (see NY Gov. Cuomo Says He’ll Block All New Gas-Fired Elec Plants). He made the preposterous claim he hasn’t issued any permits for new gas-fired plants during his time in office. Not true. The Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) Valley Energy Center natural gas-fired electric generating plant in Orange County, NY was permitted under Cuomo and will begin service this month (see Orange County, NY Electric Plant to Start Up in June). Valley Energy Center, which will get its gas from the Millennium Pipeline (Marcellus gas), will generate 680 megawatts of electricity–enough to power 650,000 homes. Little did we know, but there is a *second* gas-fired power plant project also permitted under Cuomo that’s just begun construction–in neighboring Dutchess County. Cricket Valley Energy Center (CVEC) is a fully-permitted, approximately 1,100 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant now under construction on an industrially-zoned site off Route 22 in Dover. It will generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes! Similar to CPV’s Valley Energy Center, environmental extremists have launched a barrage of attacks against Cricket Valley. However, Cricket Valley is already under construction and due to go online in 2020. There’s no stopping it now…
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Second NY NatGas-Fired Elec Plant Breaks Ground in Hudson Valley

Cricket Valley Energy – artists rendering (click for larger version)

In January MDN told you about a second new natural gas-fired electric plant project in the Hudson Valley–in Dutchess County–an 1,100 megawatt plant to be built by Advance Power (see Japanese Company Building NatGas Power Plant in (Yes) New York). As we pointed out at the time, the Cricket Valley Energy project is 44% owned by JERA Co., Inc., a Japanese company. The power generating plant, if it gets built, will be fed by the Iroquois pipeline–which flows (yes) fracked Marcellus gas from Pennsylvania. The astonishing news is that on June 28th, Cricket Valley Energy broke ground and began construction. In corrupt New York!…
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Japanese Company Building NatGas Power Plant in (Yes) New York

Somehow, someway, a new natural gas-fired electric plant is in the process of getting built–in anti-fracking New York State (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). Unfortunately it seems that part of the reason it slipped through and got an approval involved a corrupt (and very close) aide to NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo (see NY NatGas-Fired Electric Plant an Inside Job for Corrupt Cuomo Aide). We have news: a second natgas-fired electric plant is now planned in neighboring Dutchess County, NY. The 1,100 megawatt plant is majority owned by JERA Co., Inc., a Japanese company. We have the details below…
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Red Hook, NY Considers Discriminatory Fracking Ban

Red Hook, NY (Dutchess County) is considering a ban on fracking. Leading the charge is town Conservation Advisory Council Chairwoman, Laurie Husted, who wants the town to strip away the Constitutional property rights of landowners (disenfranchise them) to ever allow natural gas drilling. She says let’s take away that right now, “when there isn’t pressure from the natural gas industry to explore on local farmland.”

Husted spoke at a town board meeting Wednesday night:

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