President Donald Trump vowed to complete the long-stalled Constitution Pipeline that would transport natural gas to New York, saying it could slash energy prices in northeastern US states by as much as 70%.
“We are going to get this done, and once we start construction, we’re looking at anywhere from nine to 12 months, if you can believe it,” Trump told reporters Friday after signing an executive order on energy in the Oval Office. “It will bring down the energy prices in New York and in all of New England by 50, 60, 70%.”
in 2020 scrapped its planned Constitution Pipeline after New York blocked the project over the state’s water-quality concerns. It’s not clear that the pipeline would cut energy prices as drastically as Trump promised, yet it would open up domestic natural gas flows to a region that has significant supply constraints today.
Trump is making a bid for a revival, telling reporters he would be meeting with state governors from the area.
“We have most of the permits — almost all of the permits,” Trump said. “All of the governors want this to happen, and I think it’s going to happen. It’s now going to happen.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has put his weight behind the Constitution Pipeline. During his first term, the Trump administration sought to curtail the authority states have under the Clean Water Act to thwart energy projects they deem a threat.
The Constitution Pipeline has taken on symbolic status for some energy advocates who have chafed at state opposition to oil and gas infrastructure. Although many parts of the US northeast sit next to some of the country’s most bountiful natural gas reserves, limited pipeline capacity has prevented much of that supply from making it to them. Constitution was designed to transport Appalachian gas from Pennsylvania to New York.
Trump did not say exactly how the pipeline would be authorized — or if Williams Cos. would build it. Spokespeople for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump has already signed an order declaring the US is in the grip of an energy emergency that could help propel the venture. That order, issued just hours after Trump took office last month, specifically mentions energy constraints in the northeast US.
Trump on Friday also floated the possibility of using eminent domain authority to get the pipeline built, if necessary.
“We’d rather not have to go eminent domain,” he said. “We’ll do that if we have to, but hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
Share This:
More News Articles
