Lawmakers, Advocates Call Out Gov. Hochul For Siding With Trump And Greenlighting Trump-Backed NESE Pipeline

ALBANY, NY (11/10/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, following Governor Hochul's decision to cave to Trump and approve the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline, Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado held a virtual press conference with elected officials and advocates to demand the Governor put New Yorkers first and rescind her decision. On Friday, Governor Hochul's Department of Environmental Conservation approved the permit for the NESE pipeline - overturning their previous science-based rulings in 2019 and 2020 and bending the knee to the far right so Governor Hochul can put her political interests over the people of New York.

Watch a recording of the event here.

"At a time when the climate crisis demands bold action and renewed focus on clean energy solutions, approving a fracked gas pipeline that will take years to bring online, threaten water quality, and endanger communities is unacceptable. New York has both the authority and the responsibility to protect our environment and our families, and we will continue to fight for the future we deserve," said Congressman Dan Goldman.

"We stand with the communities who've been fighting this project from day one. Their fight is righteous, and it's not over. We can't protect our planet or our people by bending to Trump's agenda. We do it by standing up, speaking truth, and leading with conviction. And we'll keep fighting until we build a clean-energy future worthy of this state, its values and its laws," said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado.

"The NESE pipeline shamefully moves us away from the healthy and affordable state that New Yorkers desperately want. From our bills to our environment to our well-being, New York's most vulnerable communities will bear the brunt of this decision. New Yorkers are tired of bad decisions, but it's not too late for Governor Hochul to do what's right – rescind her approval and focus on expanding cleaner and more economical energy options," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso.

"I am extremely disappointed in the DEC ruling regarding the NESE pipeline. While I appreciate their efforts to mitigate negative impacts on water quality and the environment, the last thing we need is new gas infrastructure that will only drive up costs for beleaguered ratepayers. We must focus our efforts on fast tracking renewable energy which is more cost effective and quicker to scale than climate altering fossil fuel energy," said Senator Pete Harckham.

"Unfortunately, the rationale for this approval seems to be based on the immediate need for energy security, when the construction of the pipeline will take considerable time. Considering the potential for environmental damage and the long-term commitment to fossil fuel use, we would be better served by accelerating our solar energy projects, especially rooftop and community solar, which deliver energy savings directly to consumers while also providing clean energy," said Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee.

"Just days after an election in which voters across New York and the country made clear that affordability is their top concern, it is simply perverse that New York State will be saddling gas ratepayers with billions of dollars in costs for a dirty fracked gas pipeline that is completely unnecessary and an environmental nightmare. This is the exact same project that was rejected by the DEC on three previous occasions. There is no reason to waste New Yorkers' money and lock us into a dirty, expensive, fossil fueled future that only benefits Donald Trump and his billionaire Big Oil donors. This is not how you stand up for New York ratepayers," said Senator Liz Krueger.

"The DEC's decision to approve the NESE fracked-gas pipeline is a huge mistake with decades of repercussions. The pipeline will increase New Yorkers' costs, deepen dependence on fossil fuels, and pollute our environment for the next 40+ years," said Senator Julia Salazar.

"I am deeply concerned and disappointed by the Department of Environmental Conservation's decision to approve the permit for the NESE pipeline. This decision is a significant step backward for New York's environmental leadership and for the health, safety, and economic future of our communities. The Southern Tier and regions across the state have worked hard to protect community health, improve access to clean water, preserve farmland, address rising utility costs and build a sustainable economy rooted in renewable energy. These harmful fossil fuel driven politics and policies have been overwhelmingly rejected at multiple points by New Yorkers. Pipelines like NESE put our streams, family farms, and drinking water at risk while locking us into outdated energy systems instead of investing in clean energy that creates sustainable jobs, lowers utility costs and strengthens our economy. Our communities deserve equitable access to these vital resources," said Senator Lea Webb.

"Providing New York's stamp of approval of the Williams NESE pipeline is a major step back on our promise to deliver clean energy and end our reliance on dirty fossil fuels," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF - Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. "This project will undoubtedly pollute our waterways and endanger local air quality, which is precisely why New York State has rejected it three times before. It will also drive up utility costs for many who are already living paycheck to paycheck. This project may be a priority for Donald Trump and his billionaire friends, but it is the state's job to put the needs of New Yorkers and our environment first."

"The decision to approve the Williams NESE pipeline flies in the face of science, common sense, and the Governor's own commitment to affordability. This pipeline has been repeatedly rejected because of the toxicity and pollutants it would unearth. Utility costs continue to rise in New York State because of the ever increasing cost of delivering fracked gas. New York has a strong climate law, but time and time again, we see the Governor make choices that just move us farther from our urgent goals. This decision is a continuation of that trend, and New Yorkers will pay the price," said Assemblymember Emily Gallagher.

Following the Governor's decision, NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated his opposition to the pipeline, stating, "My position on pipelines has always been consistent, which is opposition to new fossil fuel construction." Republican Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella similarly said, "We are very dismayed by the decision of the New York State government to approve the Williams NESE pipeline, in spite of our concerns about the well-being of the Raritan Bay. When the work begins to build this pipeline, miles of sediment will be disturbed, the environment of the Bay will suffer, and Staten Island commercial businesses, boaters and fishermen will be made to suffer." Additional lawmakers who spoke out against the governor's decision include Congressman Jerry Nadler, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, State Senators Julia Salazar and Lea Webb, and Assembly Members Jessica González-Rojas, Phara Souffrant-Forrest, and Claire Valdez.

Governor Hochul's decision comes just days after President Trump demanded on Truth Social that she approve the pipelines, and several months after the White House bragged that Hochul "caved" to Trump on the pipelines. Her decision to direct regulators to approve the once-dead NESE pipeline for approval has drawn fierce opposition from the vast majority of New Yorkers - including many of her own allies. Last month, Democratic Members of Congress including Hakeem Jeffries, Dan Goldman, Jerrold Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more sent a letter to Governor Hochul urging her to reject the pipelines over affordability and climate concerns.

State lawmakers also sounded the alarm: last month, 50 State Senators and Assemblymembers sent a letter to the Governor urging her to reject the pipelines while more than 130 local elected officials from both parties sent their own letter highlighting how the pipelines would hurt their constituents and demanding the same. Other prominent lawmakers, including Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Pete Harckham, Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick, and Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger are also urging the Governor to stand up to Trump and reject these pipelines, while U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse condemned the pipeline shakedown as "extortion."

Unlike previous considerations of these pipelines, the State rushed the process and minimized any opportunity for public input. Last month, the Public Service Commission (PSC) brought the Governor's vision one step closer to reality after it uncharacteristically endorsed the NESE pipeline based on faulty data and despite overwhelming opposition from national and state lawmakers. The PSC's decision to endorse the pipeline without public hearings or advance notice prompted sharp criticism from good government organizations who slammed the Governor for rushing the public process.

Julia Walsh, Director of Frack Action, said: "Governor Hochul's decision to do Trump's bidding is a shameful betrayal of the millions of New Yorkers she promised to protect. Regulators already rejected the NESE pipeline three times - the only thing that's changed is our Governor would rather strike a dirty deal with a wannabe dictator than stand up for the people she's supposed to represent. Regardless of how the Governor tries to spin this, her decision to hide behind her state agencies will force New Yorkers to pay billions more on our energy bills and expose us to serious health risks we cannot afford. We urge Governor Hochul to rescind this anti-science decision and we intend to keep fighting this obvious political ruling."

Katherine Nadeau, Deputy Director at Environmental Advocates NY, said: "Today's decision by the DEC is a devastating failure to protect New Yorkers from a dangerous and wrongheaded proposal. By approving the NESE fracked gas pipeline, the DEC is discarding its own previous findings - required by state law and bolstered by science - that this project poses serious risks for our water, our marine life, and our health and safety. Just two weeks after a court ruled the Governor violated the law by not implementing the Climate Act, today she has once again ignored the law in approving this costly pipeline project. In the same month that Time Magazine named the Governor one of the world's 100 most influential climate leaders, and state representatives are gathering in Brazil to advance international climate action, the Governor's actions are speaking louder than her words. Today's decision seems to be more responsive to demands from President Trump than the concerns of New Yorkers."

Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project, said: "Under Governor Hochul's leadership, New Yorkers' voices were silenced to appease President Trump's fossil fuel priorities. Despite being rejected three times over the past several years, Hochul's DEC overrode legal requirements to suddenly approve the harmful Williams NESE proposal. This isn't just a reversal; it's a betrayal. Hochul has made it abundantly clear that she will abdicate her responsibility as governor, violate New York's signature climate law, dismiss the environmental and affordability struggles facing New Yorkers, and bend the knee to Trump for political expediency. National Grid's own filings show that this pipeline will bring no benefit to customers, only higher bills so that AI data centers can treat our state like a casino – leaving working families that Hochul was elected to serve with more debt and risk."

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.

In addition to serious threats to ecosystems across the State, these pipelines would force regular New Yorkers to pay billions to expand fossil fuel infrastructure that is increasingly unreliable and expensive to maintain. National Grid's own estimates state that the NESE pipeline alone will cost New Yorkers at least $2.2 billion and force ratepayers to pay more than $200 million every year for the next 15 years - though a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) suggests the real cost to New Yorkers is closer to $3.2 billion.