Kinder Morgan Slims Down NE Pipeline Plan While TDI Advances with Hydro NE Clean Power Link
June 4, 2015
Kinder Morgan Inc. reduced the extent of their NE gas pipeline plan in a 15-mile stretch of North Central Massachusetts and one-mile in Connecticut due to lack of customers, reports the Boston Globe.
After Kinder recently filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Houston company cut off its Mass lateral line in Bolton, Berlin, Boylston, Northborough, West Boylston, Shrewsbury, and Worcester.
That said, Kinder Morgan intends to build the 64-mile main gas line through 30 other towns in Massachusetts, beginning with Hancock, then acros Hinsdale and northwest to Northfield before reaching Southern New Hampshire, the majority of which will trace through existing rights-of-way along utility lines in both states.
The pipeline tails back into Massachusetts and stops in Dracut, with 37 miles of extra lateral pipelines stemming from the main one.
Kinder Morgan has revised their plans in the past because of political opposition, but in this case the cost of building outweighed the benefit of serving too few Worcester customers.
Allen Fore, KM’s VP of Government affairs, emphasized that Kinder Morgan wants to build the main pipeline, which could carry more than 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas — enough to heat 20,000 homes for a year — into the state from Pennsylvania shale fields.
National Grid, Columbia Gas, and Berkshire Gas have agreed to purchase natural gas from Kinder Morgan once the pipeline is approved this fall by the FERC, which may reduce high energy costs. Naysayers are concerned about their property and stressed increased state intervention with renewable energy to reduce the environmental impact.
Kinder Morgan’s plan is one of numerous New England energy projects under review.
Spectra Energy Corp., joined Eversource and National Grid for the Northeast Direct project to extend the existing Algonquin gas pipeline system throughout the area. Northeast Direct includes extending the capacity of the Maritimes & Northeast line that transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) from ships anchored off Eastern Canada.
Several companies are proposing transmission lines to connect the region to Quebec’s hydroelectric power, such as the New England Clean Power Link. The project headed by powerline developer TDI-New England moved forward after passing environmental concerns of its 154-mile underwater pipeline, but may face stiff opposition from both the utilities and New England Power Generators association. Read more here.
