40 NYS Lawmakers Urge Governor Hochul To Reject Trump-Backed Gas Pipelines in NYS

ALBANY, NY (09/30/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, as Governor Hochul continues to fast-track two dirty, fracked gas pipelines at the Trump administration's direction, 40 state lawmakers, led by Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles, sent a letter to the Governor urging her to oppose these projects. Earlier this month, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) quietly authorized National Grid's proposal for the first of the two pipelines, bringing them one step closer to reality despite the fact that these pipelines have repeatedly been denied for the threat they pose to New York's water quality.

Read the full letter here and attached.

After meeting with President Trump this Spring, Governor Hochul reportedly agreed to fast-track two long-dead pipeline proposals that her own state agency repeatedly denied: the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (NESE) pipeline, which would run through the New York Harbor and into Far Rockaway; and the Constitution pipeline, which would run across 125 miles of the Southern Tier and into the Albany area. The White House has since claimed Hochul "caved" on the pipelines in exchange for allowing a wind project in New York State to continue, while the Governor has hardly denied a deal and committed to working with Trump.

In the letter, lawmakers highlight that the NESE and Constitution pipelines would be a terrible deal for New Yorkers and cause energy bills to rise for years to come, writing, "Despite President Trump and the gas industry's inflated claims, these pipelines will not make energy more affordable. In fact, the reverse is true: ratepayers will ultimately pay for the pipelines and likely end up paying higher rates." The letter continues: "Both pipelines would exacerbate the climate crisis and associated costs by locking us into decades of further reliance on fracked natural gas."

Lawmakers also reiterated the threat these pipelines would pose to the environment and local communities across New York, writing, "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) previously rejected the NESE and Constitution pipelines due to concerns over the dangers they posed to water quality... we urge that you direct it to do so again."

On September 18, the Public Service Commission announced that National Grid's proposed long-term gas plan, which includes the NESE pipeline, is complete and ready for final review, but the Department of Environmental Conservation would still have to approve it for the project to go forward.

The letter sent today is the latest effort from a growing list of national and state lawmakers across both parties - including many of her own allies - urging Governor Hochul to reconsider her approach. Last month, in a rare moment of criticism from Democratic Members of Congress, Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Hakeem Jeffries, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Nydia Velazquez signed a letter to Governor Hochul raising serious environmental concerns with the proposed NESE pipeline and urging her to extend the public comment period. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has similarly denounced the reported deal, calling it "extortion," while her own Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado has repeatedly pressed Governor Hochul to reject the two pipeline proposals and stand up to Trump. In New York City, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella have both publicly opposed the pipelines as well.

Background

Neither the NESE or Constitution applications have been amended since they were repeatedly denied by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which means they both still pose the exact same environmental threats to New York. The Constitution pipeline would threaten more than 250 waterways throughout Upstate New York, endangering sensitive habitats and wildlife populations that depend on healthy ecosystems, while the Williams NESE pipeline would stir up toxic contaminants in the New York Harbor that harm critical fisheries and other wildlife habitats.

These pipelines would also force regular New Yorkers to pay billions to expand fossil fuel infrastructure that is increasingly unreliable and expensive to maintain. The Williams NESE pipeline alone will cost more than $1.3 billion, forcing ratepayers to pay $200 million every year for more than a decade on construction. While energy companies promise it will eventually decrease costs, National Grid estimates its New York City and Long Island customers would see a 3.5% increase in costs to pay for construction - adding to repeated rate hikes already making energy unaffordable for most New Yorkers. In addition to direct construction costs, the pipelines would also jeopardize hundreds of millions in local economic activity, tourism, fishing and other small businesses that rely on healthy local ecosystems.