Trump administration commits up to $42M to revive stalled Northeast natural gas pipeline

The federal government is stepping in to help revive a Pennsylvania-to-New York natural gas line that collapsed years ago. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox Business the Energy Department will commit up to $42 million, drawn from Defense Production Act authority, for permitting and pre-construction work on the Constitution Pipeline. The money follows an April presidential determination aimed at domestic gas infrastructure held back by permitting delays, financing limits and bottlenecks.

Wright said he hopes ground is broken next spring and that gas flows by the winter of 2028. Williams Companies, the developer behind the effort, is aiming for a fourth-quarter 2028 start of service if regulators sign off. The roughly 125-mile route would carry as much as 650,000 dekatherms a day out of the Marcellus Shale region to connect with existing lines serving Northeast customers. Wright framed the project as a supply answer to high prices and strained electricity.

The region has felt the squeeze. During Winter Storm Fern in January, oil briefly overtook gas as New England's top power source, according to the Energy Information Administration, which also expects heating oil to cost 34% more this winter.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox Business’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox Business →