ICYMI: Lt. Gov. Delgado Blasts Hochul for Pushing Trump-Backed Gas Pipelines That "Put NYers in Harms' Way"

NEW YORK, NY (09/12/2025) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, New York State Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado appeared on Inside City Hall, where he urged Governor Hochul to abandon her efforts to fast-track two major fracked gas pipelines at the Trump administration's direction. The Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (NESE) and Constitution pipelines would be a disaster for New Yorkers, threatening our water, forcing families to pay more on their energy bills, and posing serious health risks to nearby communities - all so the Governor can curry favor with the Trump administration.

Speaking to Inside City Hall's Errol Louis, Delgado stated, "It's important to understand that these pipelines were previously denied permits due to water quality standards that we as a state have an obligation to enforce and as a state have the authority to do so." He continued: "What we're talking about is a governor who made a deal with someone in the White House that will put New Yorkers directly in harm's way. That is unacceptable. Full stop."

Asked about whether a potential deal could still benefit New York, Delgado continued, "The impact on New Yorkers hasn't changed... Not only is it going to hurt them physically potentially, but it's also going to hurt New Yorkers economically. It is deeply problematic and it feels a lot more like political theater than anything of substance for the people." Watch the full clip here.

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 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.

Lieutenant Governor Delgado has repeatedly pressed Governor Hochul to reject the two pipeline proposals and stand up to Trump. Last month, Delgado signed a letter alongside 130 other local elected officials to demand the Governor reject the pipelines, and joined more than 500 New Yorkers at a rally in Brooklyn to demand the Governor protect New Yorkers. He also appeared on Capital Tonight, calling the Governor's reported deal a "tragic outcome that we have to prevent."

Governor Hochul's decision is also sparking pushback from a growing list of national and state lawmakers across both parties - including many of her own allies. 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. In New York City, mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella have both publicly opposed the pipelines.

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.