Pssst. Don’t tell anyone, but somebody has figured out how to get a pipeline built in New England. Keep it quiet–just between us, K? Time after time we’ve seen worthy, sensible natural gas pipeline projects proposed for New England. And time after time they’ve been shot down by radical Big Green groups and sleazy politicians (like MA Sen. Elizabeth Warren and MA AG Maura Healey) who are in the pockets of Big Green. Instead of building a pipeline from the Marcellus to New England–a few hundred miles–those same sleazy politicians would rather have Russian LNG imported to avert annual energy crises (see Confirmed: LNG Coming to Boston on Jan 22 is Illegal Russian Gas). Kinder Morgan is one of the casualties, pulling the plug on its Northeast Energy Direct project (see NED is Dead – Kinder Morgan Suspends $3.3B New England Pipeline). Spectra Energy’s Access Northeast is another casualty, although as we reported in May, Access Northeast may once again have a weak pulse (see NH Supreme Court Decision Puts New England Pipe Back in Play). MDN recently told you that a New Hampshire utility company, Liberty Utilities, had floated a new plan to build a teeny tiny new pipeline, called Granite Bridge, that will run underground along Route 101 from Stratham to Manchester (see Liberty Utilities Floats Plan for 27-Mile Pipeline in Southern NH). In addition, Liberty proposes building a natgas storage facility in an empty quarry in Epping. We’re not exactly sure where the extra gas will come from that will get stored and then pumped along this new pipeline (Liberty says it’s coming from the “Seacoast”). At the time of that post we asked whether/if ANY pipeline can built in New England ever again? It appears the answer to our question is yes, a pipeline CAN get built! Granite Bridge has quietly, behind the scenes, built up a full head of support for their project. Some 22 of 24 NH state senators support the project, along with Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. What lessons we can learn from Granite Bridge for how to get a pipeline project built in New England?…
