Many New York politicos have spent the last two days in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos conference, but back in the state, a new decision to advance a controversial pipeline had many attendees fuming.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Friday approved the Northeast Supply Enhancement – or NESE – project, issuing the necessary permits for it to advance. For years, the pipeline appeared to be dead after the DEC thrice rejected applications for water quality permits. Williams, the company behind the pipeline, finally called it quits last year, only to rekindle their efforts after President Donald Trump signaled support for its other project, the Constitution Pipeline.
While Constitution received the most attention, NESE got fringe benefits from the conversation. Reporting at the time suggested that Trump and Gov. Kathy Hochul had reached some sort of agreement to allow the pipelines to move forward in exchange for the federal government backing off its attacks on congestion pricing. Those reports sparked immediate backlash from environmental groups, which have long opposed new or expanded fossil fuel transmission projects…