NYC Denies Natural Gas Pipeline -- Update -- June 5, 2019

This is getting quite interesting. The story is in multiple outlets, dated June 4, 2019, yesterday.

First the backstory. The multiple New York City, New York state, and New Jersey pipeline stories are being tracked here.

So, this appears to be the third story: I think it's the same pipeline but now a different state (New Jersey) and different regulators involved.

Link to WHYY here. Data points for the June 4, 2019, story:

• Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline
• $1 billion pipeline project
• Williams Company, $926 million
• New Jersey regulators to decide today (Wednesday, June 5, 2019) on several permits for this pipeline

This is "boiler plate" from previous stories:

Williams and its customer, the National Grid utility, say the pipeline is needed in order to get the gas to customers. The utility says without the project, it may have to declare a moratorium on gas customer hookups. It is still taking applications from potential new customers but will not process them until after the project is approved, spokeswoman Wendy Ladd said.

“The existing pipeline system currently operates at maximum capacity and is unable to accommodate demand growth driven by fuel oil to natural gas conversions, as well as new development,” Williams spokesman Chris Stockton said.

But this is what is very, very interesting:

Some objectors see an ulterior motive in the pipeline project: laying the groundwork for an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal that has repeatedly been rejected in the region on safety and environmental grounds, among others. Such a facility would allow natural gas to be loaded onto ships at sea and exported to other countries.

“This is a Trojan horse,” said Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a New Jersey coastal environmental group. “The real money here is to have an LNG terminal to send that gas to Europe. The billions of dollars that would be possible by building an export facility would just be too enticing.”

Other environmental and fishing groups voiced similar suspicions about a liquefied natural gas terminal eventually being added to the project. Williams says it has no such plans, emphasizing that regulators are evaluating the plan solely for its stated purpose of bringing gas to New York and Long Island.

“There is zero evidence to support the false narrative that this proposal is somehow tied to natural gas exports,” Stockton said. “This pipe will be installed and operated safely, just like the other more than 230 miles of existing pipe and cable that currently safely operate in Raritan Bay.”

The biggest need for this new pipeline is due to folks switching from high-cost fuel oil to natural gas. So, faux environmentalists prefer higher-CO2-emitting fuel oil in lieu of natural gas. And natural gas exports would help wean foreign countries off coal.