By the Center for Cost Effective Government
If there is indeed a deal between New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and the Trump administration on moving forward with existing wind projects in exchange for allowing permits to move forward for needed gas pipelines, then it’s a victory for all.
We’ve been extremely critical of the cost and lack of transparency related to these offshore wind projects. The Trump administration has been opposed to them for other ideological reasons. They sought to stop the already permitted projects in their tracks.
While the administration would have a great deal of sway in preventing further projects, it is doubtful they’d be able to withstand any legal challenge to stop those projects that have already been permitted and were on the way. Realizing that they’d probably lose in court, the administration apparently sought to work out a deal to officially drop its opposition, if the governor would finally relent on her blocking of needed natural gas pipelines to provide the state with essential power supplies.
We’ve been bewildered as to why environmental groups continue to fight the use of natural gas as a cleaner bridge from dirty coal and oil to alternative fuels. Natural gas is not the perfect solution, but it is a far cleaner substance, and it is a very powerful provider of energy, unlike unreliable, wind, and solar. It is the main reason why the US has been able to reduce its carbon footprint over the last two decades.
We need this gas now, especially as energy demands are skyrocketing due to AI needs.
So, getting the governor to back down her illogical opposition to these needed pipelines is a win for the administration and those who like to keep the lights on here in New York.
The present wind projects were going to move forward anyway once the courts got done with these lawsuits, so we might as well have gotten something out of it. Let’s hope this actually materializes.