Energy company proposes big natural gas pipeline expansion in New England
Less than three years after a large fossil fuel company proposed expanding a major natural gas pipeline in New England, the company, Enbridge, is back with a new proposal.
Known as "Project Beacon," the expansion would substantially
increase the amount of gas that can flow into the Northeast through the
Algonquin Gas Transmission line. This pipeline carries fracked natural gas from
northern New Jersey through parts of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and
into Massachusetts.
Details about the proposed project are vague, but according
to documents released by Enbridge this week, the company would replace existing
lines with larger diameter pipes in some places and run secondary pipe lines
alongside existing ones in other places. Project Beacon would also involve
expanding some compressor stations along the route, and could include new gas
storage facilities.
Depending on customer demand, the project could expand
capacity on the pipeline by 10%, the company said, and be in service by late
2030.
"Project Beacon would help meet growing energy demand
by easing longstanding pipeline bottlenecks that have contributed to higher
energy costs for consumers," Enbridge spokesperson Max Bergeron wrote in
an email. "By improving access to abundant domestic energy supplies, the
project aims to reduce price spikes and strengthen the region’s energy
system."
If all of this sounds familiar, that's because it's
remarkably similar to a different proposal — "Project
Maple" — the company announced in late 2023.
Same pipeline, same concept for expansion, same reasons
given.
While Project Maple eventually fizzled, Project Beacon could
turn out to be a different story. That's because unlike in 2023, the politics
of energy affordability and climate change are very different in the region.
"There is a responsibility now on all the participants
in the energy system to make clear eyed, difficult decisions to preserve
reliability and affordability, while continuing to keep an eye on
decarbonization," said Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power
Generators Association.
Thanks to a combination of cold weather and higher prices,
ratepayers across New England have become laser-focused on what they're paying
each month in utility bills. A recent survey from the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce found that energy affordability was the top household concern among
residents of Massachusetts.
What's more, demand for power is growing in the region, and
renewable sources, like offshore wind, have faced several years of
economic and political headwinds.
"New England clearly will need additional energy
supplies in the years ahead," Dolan said. "Proposals like Project
Beacon are welcome developments in signaling investment interest, even with the
many hurdles that need to be overcome," like financing the project and
getting it permitted.
In announcing Project Beacon, Enbridge is kicking off
something called "open season." Think of it like an auction to gauge
interest: Enbridge puts the project proposal out into the world and asks gas
companies and power plants if they're interested in buying gas.
Based on the bids that come in, Enbridge will design a final
project and take it to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for review.
In an email, National Grid spokesperson Brendan Moss said
the company was aware of the proposal and "will carefully assess any
potential opportunity as part of our responsibility to secure cost-effective
supply solutions for our customers and make decisions based on what best serves
them and aligns with applicable regulatory review and approval."
He added that "expanding access to reliable, lower-cost
energy supply can help improve affordability, reduce volatility, support system
reliability, and strengthen economic competitiveness across the region."
A representative from Eversource, the other large gas
utility in the region, did not respond to questions about whether the company
is interested in putting in a bid.
Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Department of Public
Utilities approved a plan for Eversource to buy more gas from
Enbridge as part of a separate pipeline expansion plan.
Gov. Maura Healey, who opposed pipeline projects in the
past, threw her support behind Eversource's plan. Healey, who bills herself as
a strong climate champion, has also said that she supports an "all of the
above" approach to energy in the state, which could include more natural
gas.
Asked about the new proposal from Enbridge, a spokesperson
said the governor is focused on lowering energy costs, creating jobs and
reducing the state's dependence on expensive oil and liquified natural gas.
"The governor will review this proposal carefully to
make sure it is a good deal for ratepayers," the spokesperson said.
New England has several large pipelines that carry natural
gas into the region, but on cold days, when demand for home heating spikes, the
region's power plants often turn to burning oil, which is more expensive and
polluting. The region also supplements some of its pipeline gas with liquified
natural gas that comes in through a terminal in Everett, but that fuel is
also expensive.
While past
attempts to build a new gas pipeline into the region have failed in
the last decade, many in Massachusetts have called for building new pipelines
or expanding existing ones to help relieve supply constraints during the
winter. Among them are Republican gubernatorial candidates Brian Shortsleeve and Mike Minogue.
Many environmentalists, meanwhile, have said a new
pipeline could
end up increasing utility bills — not to mention also running counter
to the state's climate laws.
" New
England's energy challenges are not going be solved by increasing the supply of
fossil fuels," said Caitlin Peale Sloan of the Conservation Law
Foundation. "We fundamentally need to be looking at decreasing peak need
for gas overall, and we need to be really carefully reckoning with the cost
that these resources put on to customers and people who have to breathe air
when fuels are being burned."
Peale Sloan said she has a lot of questions and concerns
about the Project Beacon proposal, including whether it's truly offering a new
and flexible energy solution for New England. Because right now, she added, it
sure looks a lot like "a retread of the pipeline strategy that failed 10
years ago."
Residents push back hard at Killingly zoning hearing
Connor Linskey
Killingly residents strongly opposed two distribution
centers with unnamed tenants proposed at 90 Putnam Pike at the
planning and zoning commission meeting May 18.
During the public hearing for the
project, Killingly resident Al Dufresne questioned the impacts
the project would have on traffic, noise and lighting.
“Before approval, the commission must require the
applicant explain exactly the type of operation these buildings are designed
for and what limits will be placed on truck traffic, hours of operation,
trailer storage, hazardous materials and future tenant use,” Dufresne
said.
Claudette Rogers has been a school bus driver
in Killingly for 18 years. During that time, she has seen how trucks have
impacted traffic and she’s worried about the traffic the
distribution centers might cause. One example she gave was when the
bus she was driving, along with two others, collided while being stuck behind a
garbage truck.
“I couldn’t imagine meeting four tractor trailer trucks,” Rogers said during the public hearing.
What residents said via written public comment
Only two Killingly residents spoke at the public hearing on
May 18, as the planning and zoning commission meeting had to finish by 11
p.m. However, many residents expressed their disapproval of the
project in emails to the town, which were made part of the agenda packet for the meeting on May 18.
One such email was from Patricia Klausen of Dayville.
Klausen is concerned about the environmental impacts of the two proposed
distribution centers.
“This proposal raises serious environmental
concerns that cannot and should not be ignored,” Klausen said in her
email. “The potential destruction and contamination risks to
local aquafers are alarming, especially in a region where clean
groundwater is essential to residents, ecosystems and future
generations. Once these natural water systems are damaged, they cannot
simply be restored.”
Tiffany Lucas of Danielson opposed the distribution
centers, writing in her email to the town that they would damage the town’s
rural character.
“Our area is one of the last green valleys,” Lucas said. “We
are encroaching on wildlife habitat just by living and if we add these massive
distribution sites it will be another layer of removing that.”
The planning and zoning commission continued the public
hearing to their next meeting on June 15.
About the project
Killingly 1, LLC is proposing two new distribution
centers totaling approximately 467,500 square feet of gross
floor area with associated loading bays, trailer parking spaces, employee
parking, access drives, stormwater management
systems, retaining walls, septic systems,
utilities, landscaping and lighting. There is also an Amazon
fulfillment center proposed on 228 Westcott Road in Killingly.
Developer proposes 22-story, 305-unit apartment tower in Bridgeport
A developer has proposed a 22-story mixed-use tower with 305
apartments in Bridgeport, according to an application filed with the city’s
Planning and Zoning Department.
Jonathan Gonzalez, of Meriden, has proposed constructing the
building on a 0.44-acre parcel at 110-118 Congress St. A three-story commercial
building on the property would get demolished to make way for the proposed
building.
Gonzalez said the project is part of a broader goal to build
20,000 apartment units nationwide to generate cash flow for Second Start Inc.,
a nonprofit he founded that provides housing and support services for
disadvantaged people.
As part of a separate Bridgeport project, he said he also
plans to build an eight-story, 346-unit apartment building on Myrtle Avenue in
partnership with the property owner.
“We have a lot of big initiatives, and in order to get to
that initiative, we have to create a cash flow,” he said.
The first two floors of the proposed Congress Street
building would include office and retail space for tenants such as a grocer,
cafe and pharmacy, according to the application. Apartments would occupy the
remaining 20 floors.
Plans include installing paved driveways, sidewalks, new
utilities, a stormwater management system and landscaped areas.
“The proposed project represents a significant redevelopment
of an underutilized commercial property into a modern mixed-use development
that enhances the urban fabric of the surrounding area,” the application said.
The three-story building currently on-site is owned by
Northeast Film Storage LLC, controlled by Ian Stone and Ralph Stevens, both of
New York. They bought the property for $435,000 in 2010. Gonzalez said he is
under contract to buy the building.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to
hold a public hearing on the proposal on May 26.
Crumbling ex-CT hospital site targeted for adaptive reuse. City notes ‘live, work, play’ potential
It was started as a state hospital for people with mental
illness and remained operational until the buildings were abandoned in 1996.
Now some of remaining crumbling
and abandoned buildings sit on the banks of the Thames River directly
across from the posh Mohegan Sun casino buildings.
The city of Norwich wants
to change the future of the buildings in its city that serve almost as a
gateway to the nearly 300-year-old community at the confluence of the
Yantic and Shetucket rivers in eastern Connecticut.
The city is soliciting
bids for qualifications for developers to study the former site of
Norwich State Hospital, a plan that seeks adaptive reuse of the parts of the
site that are in Norwich. The city said it seeks “professional consulting firms
and teams to complete a planning study to reimagine the former Norwich State
Hospital.”
The Norwich property is located at 628 and 705 Laurel Hill
Road on Connecticut Route 12, and the Norwich request for quotation indicates
there also is a hope to create a community-driven vision for the site.
“The planning effort will focus on creating a vision for the
future redevelopment of the area that will provide a sense of place for city
residents and visitors alike. The former hospital property is a prime location
for the construction of a live, work, play development that would exist in
concert with the neighboring Preston Riverwalk,” according to the city of
Norwich RFQ.
The RFQ project is funded by a $250,000 Community Investment
Fund 2030 Grant and is expected to complement the upcoming Preston
Riverwalk development, which will be constructed by the Mohegan Tribe.
“The Gateway Norwich planning project is intended to provide
the community with a blueprint for strategic future growth through public
outreach and visioning exercises,” according to the Norwich RFQ.
The Norwich Community Development Corporation owns parts
of the
property and buildings on the land are listed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
As The Courant has reported in the past, the hospital’s striking design,
its contribution to the history of medicine, and the leafy tranquility of its
campus combined in the late 1980s to earn it inclusion on the National Register
of Historic Places. Much of the campus and its principle
buildings were in Preston, with a portion in Norwich.
The state had begun neglecting the hospital in the late
1970s, according to former superintendent Garrell S. Mullaney, and decided to
close it in 1996 when the movement of patients from institutional to community
care reduced its residential population. Custodianship of the closed hospital
moved from the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services to the
Department of Public Works, The Courant has reported. Land was also sold to
Preston, which has engaged in extensive study, demolition and remediation at the site, records
show.
The property on 628 Laurel Hill Road in Norwich is
approximately 40.95 acres and sits on the eastern side of the roadway. The
property is on a sloping terrain that had 16 residential units on the upper
plateau that were nurse’s homes, records show. There are also four large
administration buildings..
The 705 Laurel Hill Road is approximately 8.07 acres and
located on the western side. The property included a large administration
building and four out-buildings, records show. Both properties were donated by
a private owner to non-profit Norwich
Community Development Corporation in December 2024. NCDC is a
quasi-governmental economic development partner of the city of Norwich.
A limited environmental assessment was completed in 2020
that included multiple phases as well as a limited hazardous building materials
assessment as a part of the “city-wide brownfield assessment,” and in 2025, the
Norwich Community Development Corporation was awarded additional Brownfield
funds, records show. The brownfield work there has not started yet but will be
happening while the planning study is underway, records show.
“The goal of the study is to help stakeholders identify the
most viable, community supported, and tax positive uses for the two
underutilized, blighted properties. Knowing which land uses are trending and
desirable for developers will guide the future zoning text amendments of the
new Norwich State Hospital Zone. The study shall include guidance and insight
into the potential scope of required brownfield remediation and abatement work
necessary to facilitate determined market supported uses,” according to the
Norwich RFQ.
The initiative, which is led by Norwich City Planner Dan
Daniska, is intended to involve
residents’ voices on the future of the area of the city.
“Gateway Norwich planning will connect residents, city
officials, property owners, and other key partners to develop ideas for an
inclusive, prosperous future for the former state hospital area,” according to
the city RFQ.
Part of the baseline assessment would be to review existing
conditions, including analysis of available brownfield data and general
condition of buildings, soliciting input from Norwich and regional
stakeholders, consensus building, and sharing project information through
multiple methods, records show.
The city also noted that, among the factors being weighed by
the selection committee are: technical competence of the consultant/firm;
quality and performance of past services on similar projects; experience of key
personnel including the sub-contractors; demonstrated knowledge of
environmental remediation and brownfield redevelopment and state of Connecticut
DECD and DEEP funding programs; expected quality of the scope of work and
deliverables the consultant proposes to provide for the established budget and
the ability to perform the professional services without exceeding the grant
award, according to the Norwich RFQ.
As far as the project schedule, once the consultant is
selected, they should be ready “to begin work as directed by the City of
Norwich on or about July 1, 2026. It is anticipated that the contracted
services as described in this RFQ shall be completed within nine months of
award unless an extension of time has been agreed upon by the City of Norwich
and consultant,” the RFQ notes.
The submittals of qualifications for planning for the
adaptive reuse of the hospital are accepted until May 27 at 2 p.m. All bids are
to be submitted by that time; they will be opened on the city of
Norwich procurement portal.
Major milestone: Coast Guard Museum hoists rescue helicopter into building
Gianni Salisbury
New London — A retired MH-60T Jayhawk U.S. Coast Guard
helicopter was lifted into the under-construction Coast Guard Museum on
Wednesday.
The multi-mission recovery helicopter, which was active from
1990 to December 2023 and saved over 333 lives, arrived Monday from Elizabeth
City, N.C., according to retired Coast Guard Capt. Wes Pulver, president of the
National Coast Guard Museum Association.
The helicopter is white and red and has a 54-foot wingspan.
It can reach a maximum speed of 205 mph and accumulated 18,855 flight hours
during its time.
The future director of the museum, retired Coast Guard
captain Carl Riedlin, flew the helicopter while serving in Astoria, Ore., and
doing search and rescue missions. It just happened by chance that the
helicopter he flew ended up in the museum.
"It is really neat that it is here. It's amazing. One
of the goals of the museum is that people who served, when they walk through
the museum, they see something that they did and the contributions they made.
So it's really neat to see that," Riedlin said.
The helicopter's career began in Clearwater, Fla., flying
drug interdiction missions and responding to the Haitian
boat lifts in the ’90s. Some of its other notable stations were Air Station
Astoria in Oregon, Air Station Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and Air Station
Kodiak in Alaska.
Wednesday morning the helicopter was placed on a sled, which
was hooked into the side of the building and then lifted and rolled into the
building. In a few months, it will hang from the ceiling in the atrium of the
museum.
The final display with have replicas of a real crew from
Elizabeth City, N.C., that flew the helicopter. The display will reenact the
crew rescuing a swimmer.
"They took plaster castings of the crew so the display
is going to look lifelike and show renditions of real people, which I think is
the coolest thing ever," Riedlin said.
During a tour on Wednesday afternoon, project manager John
Metcalf and head architect Stephanie Balsam, who works for Payette, a
Boston-based architecture and design firm, reported on the progress of the
museum and what each floor will feature.
The $150 million museum will have six floors containing
exhibits, galleries, a STEM education center, a learning exhibit for young
children, a terrace and event space.
Before the tour, a rescue training demonstration took place
in the Thames River off City Pier with a Jayhawk helicopter. During the
demonstration, a man was dropped into the water and then called for help, as if
in distress. The helicopter then lifted him out of the water.
Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Kevin E. Lunday stopped
by to watch the demonstration following the Coast Guard Academy graduation. The
demonstration was meant to show the types of rescues the retired Jayhawk
completed during its time.
Recently the museum faced funding issues
after realizing the $20 million funding commitment by the state in 2014 to a
400-foot, glass-enclosed bridge over Water Street was significantly less than
what it will now cost. However U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and other
Connecticut lawmakers secured $50 million in federal funding, the association
raised $54 million in donations and President Trump signed the 2026 National
Defense Authorization Act, which allowed the Coast Guard to help fund the
project.
Pulver explained the museum is looking to bring big crowds
to the city, with an estimated 300,000 guests the first year.
"We can't wait to bring folks in. We want to connect
people to the rest of New London. We want to make it a visitor experience. The
question is how do we connect them to town? How do we connect them to Mystic or
Westerly?" Pulver said.
Pulver said construction is expected to be complete in
November, followed by the installation of exhibits. Pulver said nothing is set
in stone, but he estimates the museum will open sometime in 2027.
For more information on the building of the museum, visit
the Coast Guard
Museum Association website.