A sharp turn on natural gas
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is asking the Trump administration to accelerate federal approval of Enbridge’s Algonquin Reliable Affordable Resilient Enhancement, or RARE, project, a gas pipeline expansion. That is a notable turn from her earlier opposition to new gas infrastructure. In a letter sent Thursday to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Healey asked federal reviews and permits to “move without delay.” She also asked for enough staff and resources to complete the reviews in time to preserve the project’s planned 2028 in-service date. Federal paperwork is rarely accused of moving too fast, so her request is direct: keep the machinery moving and do not let the approval process push the project off schedule.
The old pipeline record is part of the story
Healey’s earlier record helps explain why the request is drawing attention. At an April 2022 WBUR gubernatorial candidate forum, she said, “I stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state,” naming the Kinder Morgan and Access Northeast projects. She also said she had shown a willingness to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and oppose new gas infrastructure in Massachusetts. Jim Welty, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said New England’s energy affordability and reliability problems were the result of politically motivated decisions that kept consumers from accessing Pennsylvania natural gas. He called Healey’s current position a “belated awakening.” The Boston Globe later added an important piece of fine print: Healey’s office opposed both projects, but was not solely responsible for stopping them. That makes the shift real, while keeping the history from becoming a one-person story.
The Exxon lawsuit adds another layer
As attorney general, Healey sued ExxonMobil in October 2019, accusing the company of deceiving Massachusetts consumers and investors about climate change. At the time, she said Exxon had known for decades about the “catastrophic climate impacts” of burning fossil fuels. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court later rejected Exxon’s effort to dismiss the lawsuit, according to the attorney general’s office. Exxon is now also a defendant in Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, in which Boulder and the surrounding county want oil companies to pay for local damage they attribute to climate change. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Monday, according to its docket. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Healey’s successor, joined 18 other attorneys general in an August brief supporting Boulder and arguing that the city and county’s state-law claims are not preempted by federal law.
What the RARE project would do
RARE would add 73,500 dekatherms of natural gas per day to Enbridge’s existing Algonquin pipeline system, according to CommonWealth Beacon. State utility regulators estimated that the expansion would cut costs for roughly 600,000 Eversource customers by about $40 million each year for 10 years. The expected savings would come largely from reducing the region’s reliance on more expensive imported liquefied natural gas. Enbridge spokesperson Melissa Sherburne said the company appreciates the governor’s focus on solutions that deliver reliable, affordable energy for the Northeast. Those figures are estimates, not money already saved, but they explain why a project once likely to face political resistance now has a prominent Massachusetts supporter asking Washington to keep it on track.
Approval is still several forms away
RARE remains in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s pre-filing phase. Enbridge expects to submit its formal application by the end of October, and Sherburne said the project remains on schedule. Healey’s office, the Energy Department, FERC, the Massachusetts attorney general’s office and Eversource did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. The policy tension is also visible in a 2015 study released by Healey’s office, which she said showed Massachusetts did not need additional gas pipeline capacity to keep its power grid reliable. The new letter asks federal officials to move quickly, but the project remains in the review process while the state’s earlier position sits plainly in the record.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
