Debate Over Gas Pipeline Proposal Growing in Central MA

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

the proposed pipeline

A multibillion dollar natural gas pipeline proposal that would connect North Central Massachusetts to the Tennessee pipeline has drawn considerable debate since being announced, combating economists and environmentalists against each other.

While the pipeline would allow for better access to much needed natural gas and an opportunity for jobs and tax revenue in the Massachusetts area, environmentalist fear that this proposal is getting away from the pronounced efforts by the Commonwealth to create more green energy within the state.

“The Northeast Energy Direct Project is developed to meet increased demand in the northeast United States for transportation capacity for natural gas, which is a clean, environmentally friendly energy source produced domestically,” said Richard Wheatley, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company. “Pending receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, the proposed project is estimated to be placed in service by November 2018, in order that the additional gas supplies are available for the 2018-2019 winter heating season.”

The pipeline would total 418 miles and would begin in Troy, Pennsylvania, stretch through New York, and would end in Dracut, Massachusetts. The company is in the early stages of the project, conducting stakeholder outreach and seeking survey permission from landowners.

Focusing on the Economy

According to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, the proposed pipeline plan would have a capacity of 2.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day which is enough to fuel 1.5 million homes. With half of Massachusetts’ homes heated with natural gas and about two-thirds of the electricity in the state generated in gas-fired plants, the additional gas could certainly be used.

In addition to the need for natural gas, the company estimates that the building of the pipeline would create around 3,000 construction-related jobs and generate $25 million per year in tax revenue in Massachusetts alone.

“As currently configured, the Wright, N.Y. to Dracut, Mass. portion of the NED Project consists of approximately 179 miles of mainline pipeline,” said Wheatley, in regards to the amount of work needed to be completed for the Massachusetts branch of the project. “The pipeline will be located within existing pipeline or power transmission line corridors where feasible.”

Bad for the Environment

North County Land Trust's coverage area

Environmentalists in the Massachusetts area have been vehemently opposed to the proposed pipeline, stating that the project will not only harm the environment, but also that the toted economic benefits aren’t as good as advertised.

While many take fault with the proposed pipeline, North County Land Trust, Inc. is especially upset because the pipeline would run directly through the northern part of their projected conservation area.

The nonprofit organization is upset because the proposal goes against all clean energy initiatives that the state has been working so hard on in the past few years.

Rather than focusing on expanding gas pipelines, something that is already prevalent in the southern half of the state, North County Land Trust, Inc. is urging companies to look into renewable energy sources and conservation efforts of the resources we currently have.

“We are very concerned about this project,” said Janet Morrison, the Executive Director of North County Land Trust, Inc. “From an environmental standpoint, this pipeline would fragment a protected landscape. What you are doing here is creating a fossil fuel infrastructure. As a nation we really need to focus more on renewable energy.”