Following nearly four years of struggle against a powerful company (Kinder Morgan and its subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline) backed by laws and a Federal commission, it seems that now is an appropriate point to judge performances of the various participants and agencies that could have made more of a difference to avoid this calamity.
Congressman Richard Neal has demanded that decisions made by FERC regarding the Connecticut Expansion Project be deferred until a quorum of FERC commissioners is reached and all vacant FERC commissioner seats are filled: “It is my belief that the rehearing [on the permit] should occur before a single tree is cleared and construction on this project commences.”
The Kinder Morgan subsidiary had negotiated with Sandisfield town officials, drafting a contract that said it would give the town $1 million to fix roads and other town infrastructure damaged by company equipment. The company walked away when it was time to sign that contract.
Del Gallo supports the decriminalization of marijuana, along with changes to the economy as a crime-reduction method rather than an increase in law enforcement presence or the building of more prisons.
Suspension of the NED project will not, it appears, have any effect on Tennessee Gas’ Connecticut Expansion Project, a pipeline storage loop that requires a slice of Massachusetts-owned and protected land in Sandisfield, Massachusetts.
The Berkshire Court’s order granting the easement and injunction was arguably premature and, in legal parlance, unripe. An appellate court could overturn the injunction on this basis alone.
This particular case has far-reaching implications since the land in question is protected under Article 97 of the Massachusetts state Constitution. But this proposed pipeline may be unaffected by the demise of the far larger, $3.3 billion Northeast Direct pipeline project to the north across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
If Kinder Morgan had taken a close look at the Commonwealth before launching NED, the company would have seen that Massachusetts has cut energy demand so dramatically that it has little need for more natural gas.
Citing inadequate capacity commitments from prospective customers, the Board of Directors of the Texas-based Kinder Morgan has voted to suspend further work and expenditures on its proposed 120-mile pipeline known as Northeast Energy Direct. Suspension of the NED project does not appear to have any effect on Tennessee Gas’ Connecticut Expansion Project, a pipeline storage loop through a slice of Massachusetts-owned and protected land in Sandisfield, Massachusetts.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has extended the deadline for commenting and for intervening as a party to the proceedings to January 15 at 5 p.m. Intervener status allows full participation in hearings on Northeast Direct (NED), including cross-examination and the submission of briefs.
The export of liquid natural gas (LNG) now expected to be a major component of the Northeast Direct natural gas pipeline project is likely to result in higher domestic prices. “The very facts surrounding the need for additional gas capacity are highly disputed.”
-- Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who is also challenging the legality of the ratepayer-funded pipeline
The clean energy think-tank, Acadia Center, released a three-part report in June concluding that New England is not facing an energy crisis. And the Maine PUC is investigating whether a publicly-funded interstate pipeline, such as the Kinder Morgan pipeline, is legal.
"I’m on our Conservation Commission and we all feel strongly that this is going to have a really negative impact on a wonderful little community where people are there because they value the treasures we have here from an environmental point of view."
-- Judy Williams of Plainfield, attending the Kinder Morgan open house at Berkshire Community College
"I can confidently say that the pace of renewable energy technology adoption is increasing, and the very certain progress in electricity storage will allow residential and utility scale solar to offset demand for those peak winter hours in the years 2020-2030 that this study says can be fulfilled by new pipeline capacity."
-- Berkshire Photovoltaic Services’ Christopher Kilfoyle
Clean energy is the fastest growing part of the Massachusetts economy, providing 88,000 jobs thus far. If the low estimate cost of the pipeline were directed towards investment in clean energy, it could generate approximately 24,000 permanent jobs.
-- Rosemary Wessel, of No Fracked Gas in Mass
