Advocates to NY Congress Members: Stop Trump's $42M Constitution Pipeline Giveaway for AI Data Centers!

ALBANY, NY (10/23/2026) (readMedia)-- More than 60 environmental groups are sending a letter to the New York State congressional delegation urging them to oppose President Trump's attempts to trample over New York State's rights and force through the Constitution Pipeline. There is no need for the Constitution Pipeline, yet the Trump administration announced earlier this week that it's using an emergency wartime power to give $42 million in taxpayer money to Williams Companies in an attempt to force this pipeline on New Yorkers. If built, the pipeline would likely fuel behind-the-meter gas plants for AI data centers.

The groups, including Frack Action, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, Environmental Advocates NY, NYPIRG, Food & Water Watch, and Citizens Action NY, write, "As our representatives in the federal government, we need you to fight against Trump's erratic use of taxpayer money that runs blatantly against the best interests of the public and his attempt to circumvent New York State's rights and regulatory authority."

Read the full letter here and below.

BACKGROUND

The Williams Company, with President Trump's support, is trying to revive the long-denied Constitution Pipeline project. The 30 inch fracked gas mega pipeline's planned route in 2016 was approximately 124 miles from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania through New York's Southern Tier, through the Western Catskills, and into the Capital Region. The Constitution Pipeline was denied in 2016 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation given the threats it posed to water quality including from dredging, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in turbidity, among other risks. These dangers could impair drinking water and sensitive streams, including high quality trout habitats.

New York State's 2016 decision to deny the Constitution Pipeline was upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a decision which the U.S. Supreme Court considered and let stand. Now the Williams Company and the Trump Administration are trying to circumvent New York State's authority and force the pipeline through by asking FERC to revive a decade old application, despite the fact that the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated it. Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have argued that the state must have water quality review authority over the pipeline under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.

The Constitution Pipeline also poses significant costs to local residents, with industry insiders and analysts increasingly concerned about how the pipeline would raise ratepayer costs. Bloomberg News further reports that no utility has agreed to purchase the gas. The pipeline is not needed to increase gas capacity. With the Williams Company focused on providing power to AI data centers, New Yorkers are concerned that's what they're planning for with the Constitution Pipeline.

There is major opposition to the Constitution Pipeline and fracking. There was a massive movement against fracking that resulted in New York banning the practice in 2015. Leading up to 2016, thousands of New Yorkers protested the Constitution Pipeline and led a major movement to stop it. Now, residents along the proposed route are again holding many information sessions and are seeing broad and deep opposition to the pipeline. In September of 2025, 40 state lawmakers sent a letter against the Constitution and NESE pipelines. As the state legislators noted, pipelines like the Constitution are very expensive, and ratepayers ultimately end up paying higher rates, along with threats to local economic engines including agriculture, small businesses, tourism, fishing, and recreation.

LETTER

October 22, 2026

Dear Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and all members of New York's Congressional Delegation:

We, the undersigned organizations, are writing to ask you to oppose President Trump's attempts to trample over New York State's rights and force through the Constitution Pipeline as a giveaway for AI data centers.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced it is invoking the Defense Protection Act to give $42 million to Williams Companies to build the Constitution Pipeline. New York already rejected this pipeline in 2016 given significant dangers to water quality. There is no need for the Constitution Pipeline, which is underscored by how there are no contracts attached to its revival. No utilities have agreed to purchase the gas, and there is already a bottleneck in the Iroquois and Tennessee pipelines to which the Constitution Pipeline would connect. Yet the president is using an emergency wartime power to give this corporation taxpayer money in his attempt to force the pipeline on New Yorkers.

We are deeply concerned that the Constitution Pipeline would not only harm our water but would fuel behind-the-meter gas plants for AI data centers.

Recently, Williams Companies built a fracked gas pipeline in Ohio without a utility contract - and now it powers a new AI data center. According to Wired, Williams is now building six behind-the-meter gas plants for data centers across the country, and the company announced more than $5 billion in investments for its data center ventures. It's likely that this is what Williams plans for the Constitution Pipeline, too.

Pipelines across the country that serve AI data centers are raising everyday Americans' energy bills and harming local environments. New Yorkers recognize these impacts and overwhelmingly oppose AI data centers. The Constitution Pipeline is bad for New Yorkers, who would see our energy bills rise even higher and suffer through more harmful air and water pollution, doubly because of this unnecessary pipeline and new AI data centers.

The Trump Administration is attempting to circumvent New York State's regulatory authority by reviving a decade old application before FERC, despite the fact the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated it. New York State is in litigation arguing that the state has water quality review authority over the pipeline under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.

As our representatives in the federal government, we need you to fight against Trump's erratic use of taxpayer money that runs blatantly against the best interests of the public and his attempt to circumvent New York State's rights and regulatory authority.

Sincerely,

• 350 Brooklyn
• 350 NJ-Rockland
• Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE)
• Better Path Coalition
• Berkshire Environmental Action Team
• Bless the Streets Prayer Walk
• Campaign for Renewable Energy
• Catskill Mountainkeeper
• Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now (CLEAN)
• Center for Organizing
• Church in the Wild
• Citizen Action of New York
• Climate Families NY
• Community Advocates for a Sustainable Environment (CASE)
• Compressor Free Franklin
• Concerned Health Professionals of New York
• Damascus Citizens for Sustainability
• Danby Resilience Community
• Delaware Riverkeeper Network
• Environmental Advocates NY
• Extinction Rebellion SWCT
• Food & Water Watch
• Frack Action
• Frack Busters NY
• FracTracker Alliance
• Green Ossining
• Mothers Out Front - Dutchess
• Mothers Out Front - Hudson Highlands
• Mothers Out Front - Southern Westchester
• Mothers Out Front - Westchester Rivertowns
• Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON)
• Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow
• New York Communities for Change
• New York Progressive Action Network (NYPAN) Environment Committee
• New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)
• New Yorkers for Clean Power
• No Data Center FLX
• No False Climate Solutions PA
• No Pipeline Expansion (NOPE) Northeast
• Northern Westchester Mothers Out Front
• Otsego 2000
• Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast
• Property Rights and Pipeline Center
• Protecting Our Waters
• RAFT (Residents Allied for the Future of Tioga)
• Rebel Mothers XR
• Sane Energy Project
• Second Nature Refillery
• Seneca Lake Guardian
• Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
• Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline
• Stop the (Constitution) Pipeline
• Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion
• Stop the Constitution Pipeline
• Sustainable Finger Lakes
• Syracuse Peace Council
• The Climate Reality Project: NYS Chapters Coalition
• The New Paltz Climate Action Coalition
• Third Act MA
• TIAA-Divest!
• Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative
• United Women in Faith of Oneonta First United Methodist Church
• Waterfall Unity Alliance