A week after Williams received FERC approval for its controversial Northeast Supply Project from New Jersey to New York, the gas pipeline project was blocked Wednesday night by the governor of New York. It comes at a time when New York City is converting thousands of homes and businesses from heating fuel to natural gas.
The blocking of the 37-mile pipeline by Gov. Andrew Cuomo was considered a major victory for environmentalists. It came as business leaders said if the nearly $1 billion line were blocked, it could devastate New York’s economy and result in a gas moratorium to New York City and Long Island.
“The Department of Environmental Conservation raised a minor technical issue with our application,” Chris Stockton, a Williams spokesman, said in a statement. “Our team will be evaluating the issue and resubmitting the application quickly.”
Cuomo’s move came after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had granted a certificate of public convenience and necessity for expansion of the Transco natural gas pipeline designed to serve New York markets in time for the 2020/2021 winter heating season.
Williams, based in Tulsa had pushed the expansion as being critical to the region’s energy infrastructure and said it would deliver enough fuel to meet New York’s energy needs and prevent a possible shortage.
Environmentalists countered that Williams only manufactured a potential crisis to justify the project. They argued the project would destroy fragile ecosystems and only “handcuff” New York to fossil fuels.
“Construction of the NESE pipeline project is projected to result in water quality violations and fails to meet New York State’s rigorous water quality standards,” the department said, referring to what is formally called the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, a powerful national environmentalist group, used Twitter to call the decision a “huge win.”
Ahead of the decision, a chorus of Democratic elected officials denounced the pipeline, including the New York City comptroller, Scott M. Stringer, and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Hours before the decision was due on Wednesday, 11 United States representatives, including Jerrold Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Hakeem Jeffries, wrote a letter to Mr. Cuomo in opposition.