The Northeast needs critical energy infrastructure, starting with Granite Bridge Pipeline

GAIN spokesman Craig Stevens recently had an op-ed published in the New Hampshire Journal regarding Granite Bridge Pipeline and the need for critical energy infrastructure in the Northeast. Stevens writes that the Northeast corridor has long been a holdout against the U.S. shale boom, opting to pay high energy costs in the winter months rather than invest in pipelines and other energy infrastructure. Activists have continued to vehemently oppose safe infrastructure projects that if constructed, could greatly help to alleviate the region’s energy shortage. The op-ed expands on just how scarce energy products are:

In New England, which gets half its power from natural gas, prices spiked more than 400 percent during the “Polar Vortex” in 2014. Last winter, gas prices rose more than 60 times recent rates, and Boston had to import liquified natural gas from Russia due to bottlenecks — a first in U.S. history.

A recent report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found residents in the Northeast pay 44 percent more for electricity and nearly 30 percent more for natural gas, and regional manufacturers face costs that are 64 percent higher than the national average.

Stevens contends that these economic burdens are self-induced and could easily be mitigated with investments in critical energy infrastructure, like the Granite Bridge Pipeline. Earlier this summer, Granite Bridge received the endorsement of the New Hampshire Senate, a key move in strengthening the grid and promoting energy security throughout the Northeast. The New Hampshire Senate’s endorsement of Granite Bridge represents more than just support for a single pipeline project. Rather, this notion speaks volumes, as Stevens writes:

Support for New Hampshire’s Granite Bridge project suggests that the tide is turning — that common sense and economic realities are winning out with voters over the far-left’s hype machine. Residents recognize the value of natural gas, not only as a reliable fuel source but as a means to reduce our carbon footprint. And it comes at a critical time. A study last year found the region could lose nearly 80,000 jobs, more than $4 billion in wages and $7.6 billion in GDP by 2020 if no new pipelines are built.

Now is the time to focus on ensuring affordable, accessible energy products rather than giving attention to rogue environmental activists and anti-energy politicians. Modern pipeline development is key to providing reliable energy to consumers across the United States, especially the Northeast.

Pipelines are undoubtedly the safest, most efficient method of delivering energy products to residents. In addition to transporting energy, pipelines create well-paying jobs and bring much-needed tax revenue to municipal and state governments. GAIN looks forward to the completion of Granite Bridge and the great contributions it will bring to fueling New Hampshire’s energy needs.

Read the full op-ed here.

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