Gas giant met with White House about New England pipeline project
Enbridge is planning an expansion of a major natural gas
pipeline into New England, setting the stage for a political battle over the
future of the Northeast’s energy system just as the midterm election season
heats up.
The Calgary-based pipeline company recently briefed the
National Energy Dominance Council on plans for an expansion of its Algonquin
Gas Transmission line, according to a White House official. Enbridge is also
briefing potential buyers on its plans, according to an industry official who
spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive business matters.
The official said the company’s efforts appear to be in their early stages.
“The message was, ‘Get ready to do your modeling work,’” the
person said.
Details about the expansion are still unclear. But the mere
prospect of expanding pipeline access is likely to be controversial in New
England, where a pair of proposals to build new pipelines were abandoned nearly
a decade ago after encountering fierce resistance.
It also injects a new wrinkle into gubernatorial races in
New England, where a trio of Democratic governors seeking reelection are under
mounting pressure to address some of the country’s highest energy prices.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Rhode Island
Gov. Dan McKee have all pledged to green their states’ economies but have
also signaled openness to backing new pipeline projects in
the face of rising energy prices.
Healey “takes an all-of-the-above approach to energy
sources,” said spokesperson Karissa Hand.
“She recently supported increased supply coming into the
state on the Algonquin pipeline, which will lower gas bills and emissions by
reducing Massachusetts’ dependence on imported LNG,” Hand said. “Governor
Healey will review any energy proposals through the lens of whether they would
lower costs and move us toward energy independence.”
The offices of Lamont and McKee didn’t respond to a request
for comment.
The gubernatorial campaigns are revving into gear as
President Donald Trump pushes to expand pipeline connections between gas-rich
regions like Pennsylvania and pipeline-constrained regions like New York and
New England.
Trump claimed last year to reach an agreement with New York
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to expand pipeline access in the Empire State in exchange
for allowing an offshore wind project to proceed. Federal regulators approved
a proposal to expand an existing line in September, but
New York officials have raised objections over a second plan to build a
new pipeline in the state.
Algonquin is a 1,100-mile pipeline system running from New
Jersey to Massachusetts. Enbridge has faced resistance over plans to expand the
system’s capacity in recent years. Its efforts to build a new compressor
station south of Boston became a lightning rod in Massachusetts, where critics argued the
project would undermine the state’s climate goals and further pollute the air
in a densely populated community. The station eventually came online in 2021.
A White House official confirmed that Enbridge recently
informed the National Energy Dominance Council, an advisory body that Trump
created to promote fossil fuels, of its latest expansion plans.
“President Trump and his entire energy team are always
exploring ways to strengthen and expand our energy infrastructure,” said the
official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive business
plans. “The Northeast is in high demand for more natural gas and the President
is working to ensure the region has the supply it needs at a lower cost.”
An Enbridge spokesperson did not directly answer questions
about its expansion plans, saying the company “routinely updates officials at
all levels of government” about its projects and referencing a minor expansion
of Algonquin underway in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
“We are constantly evaluating opportunities to provide
additional sources of much-needed energy all along our natural gas transmission
system to meet our customers’ needs, and deliver solutions promoting energy
reliability and affordability,” Enbridge spokesperson Max Bergeron said in a
statement.
But Enbridge has signaled in recent months that it is
contemplating an Algonquin expansion. In February, Enbridge CEO Gregory
Ebel told investors that Algonquin had observed nine of its
top 25 volume days during this year, which ranked as the coldest in New England in two decades.
“We have a relatively small expansion going on in Algonquin,
but there’s appetite for large expansion there,” Ebel said at the time. “And
you’re starting to see things thaw in terms of permitting and the realization
that it just doesn’t make sense to have 40 percent of power generation come
from oil — burning oil in a cold snap or CAD $150 gas, and we’re the solution
to that.”
Gas accounts for about half of New England’s power
generation. But the region has long faced concerns about inadequate pipeline
capacity during the winter, when gas demand for heating and electricity soars.
Many gas plants in New England are equipped with oil tanks, enabling them to
burn oil when gas prices surge or if pipeline capacity is constrained.
Algonquin has a peak daily capacity of 3.1 billion cubic
feet. In February, the company filed a proposal with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission for a 75-million-cubic-foot enhancement of three spur
lines in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Enbridge has previously pondered a larger expansion. In
2023, it announced plans for Project Maple, a 720-million-cubic-foot
expansion that would see the existing pipeline replaced with larger diameter
pipe, enhanced compression and new lines laid next to existing ones.
That plan has yet to advance.
Tweed New Haven airport gets $11 million federal boost for long-fought expansion project
NEW HAVEN —The Federal Aviation Administration has
awarded Tweed
New Haven Airport an $11.31 million grant to support infrastructure
upgrades, including a 35,600-square-yard terminal apron on which to park
aircraft adjacent to the proposed new terminal on the East Haven side of the
airport.
The federal grant is part of the FAA's Airport Improvement
Program, "supporting critical infrastructure upgrades that will enhance
airport infrastructure and improve the long-term passenger experience,"
Tweed said Monday in a news release.
The improvements will help Tweed "accommodate
increased aircraft operations and better serve the growing demand for air
travel in Southern Connecticut," and is part of "a broader,
multi-phase investment in the airport's infrastructure
and long-term growth," the release states.
“This federal investment is a major step forward for
Tweed-New Haven Airport and the region we serve,” said Tweed
New Haven Airport Authority Chairman Robert Reed.
“Expanding the new terminal apron capacity allows us to
safely and efficiently accommodate more aircraft, improve operational flow and
continue building a modern airport that meets the needs of airlines as we
focus on tomorrow’s growth,” Reed said.
“This funding represents a meaningful investment in both
infrastructure and economic opportunity,” said Tweed
Executive Director Tom Rafter. “By enhancing our ability to manage
more aircraft on the ground, we are strengthening reliability, reducing
congestion, and positioning HVN as a key driver of regional connectivity and
economic growth.”
The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of
Transportation and administered by the Federal Aviation Administration with
support from Connecticut’s congressional delegation, including the office of
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
“This funding is great news for Southern Connecticut,” said
Murphy. “More and more people are flying in and out of Tweed and it’s really
important the airport is equipped to handle more flights without sacrificing
safety or ease for passengers.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also said the grant
will help Tweed move forward.
“Tweed has tremendous potential — as an economic driver, a
travel convenience and safety transportation model, " Blumenthal said.
“This $11.3 million will allow Tweed to serve more travelers safely and
reliably and continue to play a vital role in supporting our state’s local
economy.
Among other things, the apron expansion will improve both
aircraft parking and maneuvering space near the terminal, Tweed said. It will
help support increased service, reduce delays and enhance safety and
efficiency."
As passenger demand continues to rise, "these
improvements are essential to ensuring HVN can scale responsibly while
maintaining a high-quality travel experience," the release said.
The annual event "reflects the airport’s continued
commitment to creating pathways to employment, supporting regional workforce
development and connecting local residents to growing industries tied to the
airport and broader transportation economy," the release said.
The Tweed expansion project, currently in the permitting
phase, includes a
new, 80,000-square-foot "East Terminal" on the East Haven
side of the airport, a runway extension that would lengthen Tweed's runway from
5,600 feet to 6,575 feet and parking for up to 2,100 vehicles, as well as a new
access road from Proto Drive in East Haven.
The East Terminal design late last year reached 70 percent
completion and Tweed has applications pending with both the state Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Tweed, the City of New Haven, East Haven, airport
operator Avports and the state last month struck
a deal that would let Tweed move forward on airport expansion but
shift a proposed new exit to the New Haven side while building a new entrance
on the East Haven side, they announced Wednesday.
The "framework" deal essentially would split
airport traffic between East Haven, where vehicles would enter and approach the
proposed new terminal largely via state roads, and New Haven, where they could
exit largely via neighborhood streets, as they do now.
The primary airport entrance to the proposed new East
Terminal would use Proto Drive and Uriah Street, which people would get to off
Hemingway and Coe Avenues in East Haven, which are state roads. The primary
exit would be through New Haven, with specific routes "to be evaluated and
refined."
Mayor
Justin Elicker has said the goal is to do so through the same
intersection of Fort Hale Road and Burr Street where the entrance and exit are
now.
As part of the deal, the state would pay $40 million for a
new public safety complex in East Haven, $5 million each to East Haven and New
Haven for infrastructure and increased annual state payments-in-lieu of taxes,
or PILOT, payments to both communities of more than $5 million to East Haven
and nearly $3 million to New Haven.
Amazon confirms site of next planned Connecticut mega-warehouse
KILLINGLY—The recent announcement that Amazon is the
prospective tenant at a planned 1.3 million square-foot warehouse near I-395 in
Killingly didn't come as much of a surprise.
But some of the details of the proposed "Project Husky" may have, such as the company's
plan to donate nearly half of the 556 acres involved to the town for open
space.
Company officials announced the plan to donate 216 acres on
the northeast side and 76 acres on the southeast side of the project in an
effort to create a buffer between the $200 million project and residential
areas during a presentation to the town's planning and zoning commission
Monday.
The company is seeking site plan approval from the
commission as it simultaneously seeks approval of the project from the town's
inland. wetlands and watercourses commission.
Brad Griggs, Amazon's lead for economic development in the
New England, told officials that the land donation would result in
neighborhoods being between 1/2 and 2/3 of a mile from the proposed building.
Griggs also shared that the advanced-robotics
"first-mile" facility would employ more than 500 people full-time and
the building project would create 200 construction jobs. Griggs declined to
give a timeline for construction on Monday.
The company also plans to construct its own on-site sewage
treatment system in response to the town's moratorium on new customers for its
own system that could last a decade or more.
Other project details include: 60 loading docks; 430 trailer
parking spaces; 930 vehicle parking spaces; and two driveways on Westcott
Road, also known as Route 607. One for cars and one for trucks.
Monday's review also included presentations regarding
increased truck traffic and noise from them. Both presentations concluded that
the project would not create unsafe or unhealthy conditions or violate state
standards.
Their presentations also caused residents in the audience to
shout and break out in mock laughter. Some members of the commission also
questioned the conclusions of the traffic and noise studies.
Prior to the meeting some residents also protested the
proposed project. Residents also spoke during the public speaking portion
during the meeting. The commission limited speaking to 21 minutes, with a
three-minute time limit per speaker. Each speaker was opposed to the project
for several reasons, including damage to wetlands, traffic and pollutants,
losing the community's rural feel and concerns about effects on drinking water.
"This is not progress, this is destruction," one
speaker said.
The site plan review was continued to May 18.
CT plans $10 million project to improve multiple busy intersections. Here’s where and how.
The state is planning a $10 million project that will impact
two communities and, in addition to replacing outdated infrastructure, the work
is intended to improve safety for motorists and pedestrians, records show.
The projects will include 10 new traffic signals and other
improvements in Bloomfield and Windsor and could be coming later this year,
according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
The $10 million project would replace the aging traffic
signal infrastructure at intersections on state routes 218 and 187, according
to the Department of Transportation. The
technology will allow communication with the agency, to help reduce travel
times, records show.
“The upgrades to signal and pedestrian equipment at these
intersections will replace outdated infrastructure and increase safety for
pedestrians and motorists alike,” Connecticut Department of Transportation
Project Manager John Lockaby said in a statement. “We encourage the public to
attend [an upcoming] meeting to share their feedback with the CTDOT project
team to incorporate into the design.”
The project limits on Route 218 are from Packard Street in
Bloomfield to the west to the Interstate 91 northbound ramps in Windsor to the
east. On Route 187, the project limits in Bloomfield are from Route 218 to the
south to Park Avenue to the north, according to the Department of
Transportation.
Upgraded equipment would include span poles/mast arms,
signal head placement, upgraded signage, and more.
Other upgrades and installations, where applicable, would
include pedestrian control features, including accessible pedestrian signals
with pushbuttons, countdown signal heads and installation of activated No Turn
on Red prohibition signs, according to the Department of Transportation.
The planned 10 traffic signals also would have “new fiber
optic interconnect between the intersections,” according to the DOT.
The construction/reconstruction of curb ramps, blended
transitions, sidewalk extensions, landing areas, detectable warning surfaces,
realignment of skewed crosswalk pavement markings and associated adjustments to
stop bars and detector locations and review of signal timings are also included
in the project, records show.
The Department of Transportation also would evaluate
existing “When Flashing Stop Ahead” signs, crosswalk and transit stop
illumination, bus stop pads at transit stops, potential guide rail revisions in
conjunction with the installation of new mast arms, span poles, or pedestals.
The work will be attempted to be within existing
right-of-way. New sidewalk may be installed to some intersections, according to
the Department of Transportation.
A public hearing will be hosted later this month by
the Connecticut Department of
Transportation to
The breakdown for the new traffic signal equipment would
include four in Bloomfield and six in Windsor. Three of the Bloomfield
locations are on Route 187 and will be at Park Avenue, at Walsh Street and
Englewood Avenue and at Connecticut Route 218 (Cottage Grove Road). Also in
Bloomfield, the intersection between Route 218 at Packard Street would be
replaced.
In Windsor, all six intersections will be off of Route 218
including, at Columbia Road and Commuter Lot Driveway, at I-291 Ramps, at
Matianuck Avenue, at Interstate 91 Southbound Ramps, at I-91 HOV Ramps and I-91
Northbound Ramps, according to DOT.
“The purpose of this project is to replace the aging traffic
signal infrastructure along the CT Routes … as needed for a state of good
repair, by replacing the existing Computerized Traffic Signal System,”
DOT records show. “The replacement of the CTSS
communications system will establish reliable fiber optic communication
connections between the signalized intersections. New underground fiber optic
cable will be used for communications between intersections within the project
area.”
Further, wireless systems “will be utilized for
communications to the CTDOT’s Administration building and will allow for the
implementation of advanced technologies to monitor traffic and reduce travel
times,” records
show.
The virtual public
information meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 19. The
Connecticut Department of Transportation said it hopes to inform the community
about the work, gather feedback and answer questions. A question-and-answer
session will follow the presentation.
Based on available funding, acquisition of right of way and
permit approval, the construction would begin in the fall of 2027. According to
the Department of Transportation, the estimated cost of the project is
approximately $10 million and it expects work to be done with 100% state funds.
For the meeting, anyone with limited internet access can
enter the meeting by calling 877-853-5257 and entering Meeting ID 833 3093
3544. Individuals with hearing and/or speech disabilities may dial 711 for
Telecommunications Relay Services. Individuals with limited internet access may
also request that project information be mailed to them within one week by
contacting John Lockaby at John.Lockaby@ct.gov or (860) 594-2719.
Meriden's $122M Pulaski school project added to the state school construction list
MERIDEN — The district has moved a step closer to building
a new
Pulaski Elementary School on the site of the former Meriden-Wallingford
Hospital at 1 King Place.
“We are excited that the Pulaski project has been included
on the state’s school construction list,” Meriden school Superintendent
Mark Benigni said in a statement.
This clears the way for the city to receive funding to
demolish the former hospital and make way for construction of a new
state-of-the-art Pulaski
Elementary School, Benigni said last week.
“I want to thank everyone involved in making this happen, as
this is terrific news for the entire city of Meriden,” he said.
The $122 million Pulaski project is expected
to receive a state reimbursement rate of 90%, Benigni said.
The school district is hoping for work to begin in the
winter, he said, with a first step of demolishing the former hospital.
“This project will help change the face of downtown,” state
Rep. Jack Fazzino, a Democrat who represents part of Meriden, said in a
Facebook post.
The former hospital has been a decades-long problem, said
state Rep. Michael Quinn, D-Meriden. There have been many proposals over the
years to rehabilitate or demolish the structure, but no action has ever been
taken, he said.
“This plan solves that problem and also solves the problem
of the current Pulaski school,” he said in an interview.
The current school building has no room for expansion, and
students need a larger space for learning, Quinn said.
This year, Pulaski was a top priority for the Meriden
delegation to the General Assembly, including Quinn and Fazzino as well as
state Rep. Hilda Santiago and state Sen. Jan Hochadel, both
Democrats.
The project was able to make the state's list because the
application had already been submitted to the state, and it was approved by the
Meriden City Council and Board of Education. The city needed preauthorization
from the legislative body to be approved for the School Construction Priority
List for 2026, Santiago said Monday.
Benigni said Monday the school district's focus is on
moving forward with the new Pulaski school. The city has already completed a
feasibility study for Thomas Hooker, which needs renovations. Officials
are aware of the school’s future needs, he said.
With the Pulaski School project, Thomas Hooker School would
become the oldest elementary school in the city that has not undergone
renovations or additions, while most other elementary schools have received
improvements, Quinn said. That school could become a priority for the
delegation next year, he said.
Voters in MIddlebury, Southbury approve Region 15 budget, $224M in school construction bonds
Voters in Middlebury and Southbury approved the 2026-27
budget for the Region 15 schools and gave the green light to bonding
for new buildings to replace the district’s oldest elementary
schools.
The budget for the next fiscal year totals $95.6 million, a
$4.86 million, or 5.4%, increase over the current $90.78 million budget,
according to the regional school district. The total is the same figure that
the school board adopted earlier this spring.
Voters in the two towns served by the school
district approved the spending plan, 2,679 to 1,618, according to unofficial results from
the May 6 referendum.
They also approved $224 million in bond funds for
projects to
replace the aging Gainfield and Pomperaug elementary school buildings in
Southbury, 2,474 to 1,820.
The new buildings are proposed for each school’s existing
site. The buildings, if completed, would be larger, with each able to
accommodate around 550 students. Both would also offer prekindergarten space as
well.
Region 15 Superintendent Joshua
Smith said he hopes construction will begin in 2028, with the
buildings completed by 2030.
But first, the district must apply for state funding,
according to Smith.
The funding application will include the education
specifications for the projects and detailed overviews, he said.
“We will also begin the work of identifying building
committees, grant application approvals and releasing a request for project
proposals that will select an architectural firm for the design phase of the
project,” Smith said.
Those steps will be underway as the district awaits
legislative approval of funding for the projects in 2027 and prepares for
eventual construction, according to Smith.
The proposal aims to provide modern learning
spaces to replace Gainfield and Pomperaug schools, which the district
characterized as antiquated with educators using “makeshift instructional
spaces” for interventions, holding them in closets, hallways and shared areas.
According to the district, the proposal aims to include new
“purpose-built classrooms and small-group rooms to restore privacy, flexibility
and better support for all learners.”
The district’s initial plan and cost estimates include
preschool space and the projected construction costs realize current state
incentives for the inclusion of those spaces, the superintendent said.
Officials estimated that with the state’s preschool
incentives, Region 15 would receive a 64.2% total reimbursement for the
projects.
The district estimated that after the state reimbursements,
local residents would be responsible for $86 million of the projects’
costs.
Marion Manzo, chair of the Region 15 Board of Education,
said in an email the board is “grateful” that the towns backed the construction
project.
“We let the facts and data drive our decision, and the
community did the same with their vote,” Manzo said. “We are grateful to the
many people who advocated for our schools, and we look forward to a brighter
future for our students and community.”
The breakdown of the vote by town, according to unofficial
results,
Although the school bond measure passed overall,
unofficial results showed that Southbury voters approved the plan 1,935 to
1,172, but Middlebury voters rejected it, 539 to 648.
Jason Van Stone, a member of the Southbury Board of
Selectmen, said he was glad both the Region 15 budget and bond request were
approved.
“They passed by such a large margin,” Van Stone said. “I
think it shows the commitment Southbury residents have to education.”
That commitment also showed in the conversations Van Stone
said he had with residents over the past few months, in which he said the same
sentiment came up over and over.
“It was, ‘When I went through school a million years ago,
someone else paid for those schools. We have to help out the next generation of
students,’” he said.