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N.Y. Democrats Urge Hochul to Reject Pipeline Over Climate Concerns

October 15, 2025
in News
N.Y. Democrats Urge Hochul to Reject Pipeline Over Climate Concerns
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As Gov. Kathy Hochul weighs reviving a thrice-rejected plan to build an underwater gas pipeline off New York City in an effort to meet rising energy demands, a growing number of high-ranking Democrats from New York are urging her not to.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, and nine other congressional representatives from New York, including Jerrold Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ritchie Torres and Dan Goldman, sent a letter to the governor on Wednesday voicing their concerns about the pipeline.

“This project, which would bury 17 miles of fracked gas pipeline under the ocean floor in ecologically sensitive waters near Staten Island and the Rockaway Peninsula, poses significant and far-reaching implications for public health, environmental justice communities, climate goals and marine ecosystems,” they wrote.

The letter represents an unusually public reproach of New York’s Democratic governor from her own party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. A centrist from Buffalo, Ms. Hochul has placed affordability at the center of her pitch for a second term, recognizing New Yorkers’ growing concern amid a shaky economy and rising prices.

But delivering on that promise will be easier said than done. Facing aging infrastructure, increased energy demands and a federal government that is hostile to the state’s renewable energy goals, Ms. Hochul has sought to thread the needle in part by reconsidering fossil fuel projects the state had previously rejected.

In a statement, a spokesman for the governor pointed to these concerns, including a recent projection showing New York City could face energy shortages as soon as next year.

“We agree with our House partners that a rigorous review is needed, which is exactly what the D.E.C. is doing at Governor Hochul’s direction,” the spokesman, Ken Lovett, said, referring to the Department of Environmental Conservation, the state agency overseen by Ms. Hochul that will decide whether the project will continue.

“We look forward to continuing to work with our congressional delegation to advance an all-of-the-above approach that delivers affordability, reliability and clean energy,” the statement said.

But the possibility of investing in gas infrastructure at a time of rising awareness of the effects of climate change has sounded alarm bells.

In their letter, the lawmakers appealed to Ms. Hochul’s public commitment to climate leadership, warning that the pipeline project was “in direct tension” with the state’s progress and “risks reversing hard-won climate gains.”

By law, New York must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming, by 85 percent by 2050. These kinds of state-level efforts have only grown in importance, climate experts say, since the Trump administration has removed funding and tax credits for renewable energy projects.

In April, President Trump halted the construction of one of the few remaining offshore wind projects in New York State, known as Empire Wind. Ms. Hochul vowed to push back, and ultimately succeeded in persuading Mr. Trump to reverse course and let the project proceed.

That same day, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum posted on social media: “I am encouraged by Governor Hochul’s comments about her willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity.” He added that New York’s move would help ensure access to “affordable, clean American natural gas.”

Soon after, the New York City pipeline proposal emerged for the fourth time. The governor’s office has denied making a deal with Washington to revive the project.

The pipeline, known as the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline, or NESE, had been proposed and rejected three times, starting in 2018, under Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The Department of Environmental Conservation has until next spring to decide the project’s fate.

If approved, the pipeline would deliver gas from Pennsylvania to the New York City metropolitan area, running for about 23 miles under Raritan Bay in New Jersey and New York Harbor and connecting to existing infrastructure off the coast of Queens.

With the rise of data centers and semiconductor facilities, which vastly increase the load on the electrical grid, the demand for power in New York is surging, prompting concerns about energy shortages.

Like President Trump, Republicans across the state have been broadly supportive of natural gas infrastructure, opposing the state’s ban on fracking and supporting new pipeline projects.

The NESE pipeline “will bolster reliability for essential energy needs in New York City and Long Island,” said Frank Dwyer, a spokesman for National Grid, the local utility that would receive the gas from the underwater pipeline.

Opponents of the pipeline, however, point out that National Grid customers, who pay for infrastructure upgrades, would be on the hook for the $1 billion cost of its construction.

Some members of the New York delegation who did not sign the letter, like George Latimer, a Democrat who represents parts of the Bronx and Westchester County, indicated a willingness to consider the pipeline proposal.

“The congressman’s priority is understanding how New York State’s energy needs affect his constituents,” said Elizabeth Carlson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Latimer. “We plan to keep monitoring this situation while getting feedback from residents.”

Other notable opponents to the pipeline include Antonio Delgado, Ms. Hochul’s lieutenant governor who is running against her in 2026, as well as Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City mayor; Brad Lander, the city’s comptroller; and Jumaane Williams, the city’s public advocate.

Mr. Cuomo, who is running for New York City mayor as an independent and who rejected the pipeline several times as governor, declined to comment.

Hilary Howard is a Times reporter covering how the New York City region is adapting to climate change and other environmental challenges.

Grace Ashford covers New York government and politics for The Times.

The post N.Y. Democrats Urge Hochul to Reject Pipeline Over Climate Concerns appeared first on New York Times.

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