Enbridge halts $3.2B Access Northeast natural gas pipeline for now
Whether or not the Northeast needs more gas remains up for debate. But if the region does need more fossil fuels, it will also need to find a way to pay for pipeline development.
Last year in August, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled electric utilities could not charge customers to develop the line. That led project backers like Eversource Energy and National Grid to drop their support.
At peak delivery, the project was expected to provide enough gas for 5,000 MW of generation. Following the court’s decision last year, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey called it a win for consumers, saying it means pipeline developers “will need to find a source of financing other than electric ratepayers’ wallets.”
Brian McKerlie, a vice president at Enbridge, told the Boston Globe that the company still wants to develop Northeast Access but first needs to lay the groundwork. “Once we work through the legislative [support], we’ll be able to reengage the FERC filing process and be back on track,” he told the newspaper.
