Groundbreaking Ceremony for NESE Pipe in NYC an All-Star Event
Yesterday, Williams marked the official start of construction on the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project with a groundbreaking ceremony at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York City. It was an energy-star-studded event. Williams CEO Chad Zamarin was, of course, there and spoke. Other luminaries attending and speaking included U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. Also on hand for the ceremony was (surprise!) FERC Chairwoman Laura Swett. We don’t ever recall a FERC commissioner attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a pipeline. Read More “Groundbreaking Ceremony for NESE Pipe in NYC an All-Star Event”
As we report in today’s lead story, Williams held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project in New York City yesterday (see Groundbreaking Ceremony for NESE Pipe in NYC an All-Star Event). One of the speakers at the event, the master of ceremonies, was Williams CEO Chad Zamarin. One of the comments he made at the event that deserves its own post here on MDN was news about the Constitution Pipeline project, a 124-mile greenfield pipeline from the Marcellus gas fields of Susquehanna County, PA, to Schoharie County, NY, to move Marcellus gas into New York State and New England. 
National Grid New York is upgrading its 50-year-old Grasmere Gate Station on Staten Island, a critical piece of natural gas infrastructure serving approximately 80,000 customers. This two-phase project, which began in March 2025 and is expected to finish by June 2026, involves a complete rebuild of mechanical equipment and components to enhance safety, strengthen physical structure, and improve efficiency. The work was crucial during a winter with record-breaking natural gas demand and is part of National Grid’s ongoing investment in modernizing infrastructure across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island to meet current and future energy needs. Here’s our question: How in the world did lunatic anti-fossil fuel fanatics not notice this upgrade was happening and protest to stop it? 
Anti-fossil fuel fanatics haven’t given up on trying to block construction of the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline, a $1 billion+ project designed to increase Transco pipeline capacity and flows of Marcellus gas heading into New York City and other northeastern markets. Last November, the states of New York and New Jersey issued federal Clean Water Act permits for their respective states, allowing NESE to be built (see 
Just coming to light for us now is that Iroquois Gas Transmission System petitioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February to reissue authorization for the $152 million Wright Interconnect Project in New York State, aiming to revive a critical link for the previously canceled Constitution Pipeline. Originally approved in 2014, the project seeks to establish a new receipt interconnection and compression facilities at the Wright Compressor Station. By creating 650,000 dekatherms per day (650 MMcf/d) of transportation capacity, the initiative intends to alleviate persistent natural gas supply constraints in the Northeast and New England markets. If approved, the project targets a May 2028 in-service date, utilizing existing company-owned infrastructure to minimize environmental impacts. 
Governor Kathy Hochul warns that a recent court ruling requiring New York to meet strict 2030 greenhouse gas mandates could trigger a dramatic spike in energy costs. Justice Julian Schreibman ruled that state agencies must strictly adhere to the Climate Act’s deadlines, despite official concerns regarding feasibility. While state energy officials predict a “cap-and-invest” (better called a cap-and-tax) program could cost households thousands annually, environmental advocates are open to settling the case to avoid “draconian” economic impacts. To reach these goals affordably, Hochul is pushing to adjust emission accounting methods to a 100-year standard, extending the compliance timeline while maintaining the state’s commitment to clean energy. 
It’s not often MDN gets to report on something happening in our own (relative) back yard. This is a treat! Construction has begun on an eight-megawatt natural gas fuel cell system at the Huron Campus in Endicott, NY, to support future redevelopment. Developed by Bloom Energy and managed by Phoenix Investors, the facility will supplement existing power from the local utility substation to meet the energy needs of upcoming tenants. The project is located on a site recently cleared of former IBM buildings and is expected to be operational by April or May. This infrastructure investment aligns with ongoing efforts to attract new business to the campus, ensuring reliable utility capacity for the modernized industrial space. Natural gas to the rescue! 
In January 2023, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a leftist Democrat, floated a plan to ban natural gas hookups in every single new home and business across the “Empire” State (see 
Pipeline giant Williams is going on a PR offensive to pressure New York State to approve the 125-mile (99 miles in NY) Constitution Pipeline from the prolific gas fields of Susquehanna County, PA, into and through New York State, to Schoharie County, where it would connect with two other interstate pipeline systems to flow molecules to New York City and New England. On its blog site, Williams recently published a post titled “Winter storms underscore why infrastructure is needed,” with the subtitle “Severe cold underscores need for Constitution Pipeline.” 
Reverting back to true form by obsequiously bowing to environmental extremists, New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered her lapdogs at the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to log an objection with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to a request by Williams to resurrect the Constitution Pipeline project. Even though Hochul bartered a deal with President Trump to allow this pipeline (see 
In an op-ed appearing in the Jamestown Post-Journal, New York State Senator George Borrello argues that New York’s energy crisis, marked by potential blackouts and high costs, stems from the politically motivated closure of facilities like the Dunkirk NRG plant. Initially promised a natural gas conversion, the plant was shuttered, forcing the state to import power and damaging the local economy. Borrello contends that while nuclear energy is a viable long-term goal, the state must immediately embrace natural gas to restore energy independence. He urges Governor Hochul to bypass radical interests and reopen the Dunkirk plant to provide reliable, affordable power and vital tax relief for Chautauqua County. 
A big announcement from the Trump Department of the Interior (DOI). Yesterday, the DOI announced an immediate pause on all large-scale offshore wind project leases currently under construction in the United States. There are five such projects along the East Coast, including one off the coast of New York State. The DOI said the decision stems from “national security risks” identified by the Department of War in classified reports, specifically concerning radar interference known as “clutter” caused by massive turbine blades. Trump previously negotiated a deal with NY Governor Kathy Hochul to allow two pipeline projects—the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project and the Constitution Pipeline—in return for building the offshore Empire Wind 1 project (see