A Canadian energy company has proposed expanding a major natural gas pipeline in New England to increase gas capacity in the region amid soaring energy costs.
The Trump administration has been actively pushing for the expansion of oil and gas pipeline projects as part of its efforts to boost fossil fuel energy. The administration has moved forward with pipeline projects such as the “Keystone Light” and the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project.
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It comes as the war in Iran has driven electricity and energy prices up, outpacing inflation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this month in its Consumer Price Index revealed that inflation rose to 3.8% for the year ending in April, while energy prices increased by 17.9% for the year.
Enbridge, a Canada-based energy company, proposed its plan this week to expand the Algonquin Gas Transmission system. The project dubbed “Project Beacon” would expand the pipeline that runs more than 1,000 miles, transporting natural gas from New Jersey through New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
“Project Beacon would help meet growing energy demand by easing longstanding pipeline bottlenecks that have contributed to higher energy costs for consumers. By improving access to abundant domestic energy supplies, the project aims to reduce price spikes and strengthen the region’s energy system,” Enbridge spokesman Max Bergeron told the Washington Examiner in an email.
The project reportedly would replace some existing pipelines with larger diameter pipes and run a second pipeline alongside existing ones. It would also expand some compressor stations and build new gas storage facilities, WBUR reported.
Bergeron noted that Project Beacon could be in service by 2030 and expected to generate up to $2 billion per year in savings. The company has launched its “open season” process, allowing gas utilities and power plants to express interest in the project.
Separately, the company also plans to make enhancements to the pipeline in several towns within Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The company would extend the pipeline about 2.2 miles in Newport County, Rhode Island, and install 3 miles of pipeline in Providence County, Rhode Island. It also plans to replace about 8.25 miles of existing pipeline through Worcester and Norfolk counties in Massachusetts and Providence County, Rhode Island.
Enbridge previously proposed a similar project in late 2023, called “Project Maple.”
Project Maple did not advance and received strong opposition from environmentalists. The Sierra Club initiated the “Stop Project Maple,” which was a coalition of 90 environmental groups and community organizations. The coalition at the time argued the project would undermine Massachusetts decarbonization goals and raised concerns over fracking and increased methane emissions.
The Sierra Club has already spoken out against Enbridge’s proposed Project Beacon, arguing that Connecticut heavily relies on methane gas. The group also pointed out public health risks of methane gas leaks and the possible high cost on consumers.
“The expansion of Enbridge’s pipeline will only raise energy costs and pollute communities,” Sena Wazer of Sierra Club Connecticut said in a statement. “Our overreliance on methane gas is a primary driver of Connecticut’s high electricity costs. Pipeline construction will add to those costs.
“And to top it off, Enbridge has been fined for exceeding its air pollution limits in our state. Governor Lamont and other Northeastern Governors must stand up and oppose any new gas pipeline expansions. Neither our wallets nor our health can afford it.”
Expanding oil and gas pipeline capacity and infrastructure has been a key priority of the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump earlier this month approved a major oil pipeline project, dubbed the “Keystone Light,” which will stretch roughly 650 miles from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, transporting 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The pipeline is a downsize of the “Keystone XL” project which was rejected by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
The administration in April announced the start of the construction on the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project, which will carry natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey.
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Williams Companies, the firm managing the construction of the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, has also sought to revive its permit to build out the Constitution Pipeline, which would carry gas 124 miles from West Virginia and Pennsylvania to New York and New England.
At the time of Northeast Supply Enhancement project groundbreaking ceremony, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the “Constitution Pipeline is next,” adding that it would “reset costs lower, grow job opportunities higher, and transform the opportunities in all six states in New England.”
