Massachusetts Governor Urges Trump Administration to Acceler

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has requested that the Trump administration fast-track the federal review of a New England natural gas pipeline project being developed by a subsidiary of Canadian energy giant Enbridge.

This move reflects a shifting stance in the US Northeast, where state leaders are increasingly supporting fossil fuel infrastructure to combat rising household energy costs after years of opposing such developments.

Key details of the development include:

* **The Request:** Governor Healey urged federal officials to accelerate the environmental review of the Algonquin Gas Transmission pipeline expansion, officially named the Reliable Affordable Resilient Enhancement (RARE) project. She noted that President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for the initiative.
* **Economic Impact:** Once completed, the project is projected to supply natural gas to 600,000 customers and cut annual consumer gas bills by an estimated $40 million.
* **Reduced Import Reliance:** According to the governor, the expanded pipeline capacity will decrease the region’s dependence on expensive liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports currently sourced from Constellation Energy’s Everett LNG terminal in Massachusetts.
* **All-of-the-Above Strategy:** “I’ve been clear that we need to bring more energy supply into Massachusetts with an all-of-the-above approach that includes solar, wind, storage, nuclear, geothermal, hydro and gas,” Healey stated.
* **Project Specifications:** Enbridge aims to have the RARE project operational by 2028, which will increase pipeline capacity by approximately 75 million cubic feet per day. The broader Algonquin system currently moves about 3.1 billion cubic feet of gas daily across 1,131 miles of pipeline spanning New Jersey, New York, and New England.
* **Regulatory Progress:** The project is currently undergoing an environmental review by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved two 10-year supply agreements between Eversource Energy and Algonquin to facilitate the delivery of the new gas supplies.