Overview
- The Department of Environmental Conservation granted a Clean Water Act water-quality certification for Williams’ Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline segment in New York waters, reviving a project to deliver gas to the Rockaways, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island.
- Permit conditions require third-party construction monitors, controls to limit disturbed contaminants in Raritan Bay and Lower New York Bay, and roughly $23–24 million in mitigation payments for unavoidable impacts.
- The Public Service Commission determined in September that NESE would materially improve the reliability and resilience of the downstate gas system, and Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed an all-of-the-above energy approach in her statement.
- The approval follows public and private urging by President Donald Trump, and DEC said Williams withdrew its separate request for the larger Constitution pipeline.
- The project still needs New Jersey permits and faces expected legal challenges from environmental groups, with National Grid estimating residential bills would rise about $7–8 per month and developers projecting potential service by late 2027 if approvals are secured.