Another natural gas pipeline project proposed for the area

Another natural gas pipeline project proposed for the area

By Elaine Thompson
Telegram & Gazette Staff

Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 5:55 PM
Updated at 8:32 AM

Another natural gas pipeline company has proposed a project to transport up to 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to serve the region's power plants and meet increasing demands from customers.
The project, Access Northeast, is being developed by National Grid, Eversource Energy and Spectra Energy.

Spectra Energy, the parent company of natural gas transportation company, Algonquin Gas Transmission, is headquartered in Houston and has local offices in Norwood and Waltham. Algonquin has operated interstate natural gas transmission pipelines in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts since 1953. The current line runs from Lambertville, New Jersey, and travels through New England into the Boston area.

The company is in the preliminary stage of its proposal to modify and expand its existing interstate natural gas pipeline system in the area to increase energy supply diversity, security and reliability in the northeast, according to information Algonquin is distributing to municipalities that are within or very near the study corridor that is being considered. Central Massachusetts communities where the project is proposed to be in are Boylston, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Millbury, Grafton, Upton and Milford.

"We believe that the project will benefit the Northeast by making available additional supplies of natural gas, expand and improve pipeline transportation facilities which are necessary to support the needs of regional power generators and natural gas customers, and address the growing demand for clean-burning natural gas," Franklin S. Gessner, right-of-way project manager for Algonquin, wrote in a letter of introduction to town officials in the Central Mass towns on Aug. 20.

Marylee Hanley, spokeswoman for Spectra Energy, said the proposed project "is designed to meet the growing demand for energy in the Northeast and save consumers billions of dollars each year." According to the company, "Last winter, New England wholesale electricity costs were nearly double compared with the previous year, largely due to pipeline constraints."

The current estimated cost of the proposed 119-mile new and improved pipeline facilities, is in the range of $3 billion. But, that could change based on the final scope of the project. Portions of the project are proposed to be in service in 2018 to 2019, with the entire pipeline in service by 2020. Proponents said the project will create a significant amount of jobs during construction and add capital investment and tax base to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York.


In the Aug. 20 letter, Mr. Gessner said representatives will soon be meeting with other stakeholders, including landowners and government agencies, to discuss the project and seek input. The extended pipeline will follow existing rights-of-way where possible, but landowners whose properties may be initially involved have been notified of the company's need to perform surveys to collect information about their properties.

"Please be assured that we are very early in the proposed project process and you will have multiple opportunities to interact and engage with the project team, as well as participate in the appropriate regulatory process. It is our goal to communicate early and often about our project activities in order to build positive relationships with all those with whom we come in contact," Mr. Gessner wrote. He said those with questions or would like additional information concerning the project can call the landowner hotline toll-free number at (888) 331-6553 or by visiting the website www.accessnortheastenergy.com.

Last year, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Co., proposed to construct the Northeast Expansion project between Wright, New York, and Dracut, Massachusetts. The pipeline would have run through northern Worcester County. After it met with strong opposition from communities and property owners, the route was changed to mostly follow existing utility lines across southern New Hampshire, returning to Massachusetts just before Dracut.