![]() “The company has not been actively marketing gas for a number of years due to continued strong organic demand for gas service,” she added. “The Public Service Commission’s approval of the joint settlement on National Grid’s three-year investment plan will allow us to prioritize energy affordability while investing in programs necessary to maintain the safety and reliability of our natural gas networks and implement new programs to accelerate the transition to a cleaner energy future,” the spokesperson said. When asked if the company will seek approval for phase five development as outlined in the agreement, Wendy Ladd, a spokesperson for National Grid, sent City Limits a statement that did not directly address the future of the project. ![]() ![]() That petition will be subject to public comment and reviewed by the. “If the consultant finds there is a need and would reduce emissions, the company can submit a petition seeking approval,” said the spokesperson for the Department of Public Service. The adopted joint agreement notably discontinues construction of the last phase of the pipeline, but does leave an opening for it to be finished if the company first completes a review by an independent consultant and gets additional approvals from the state. National Grid will also have to conduct a study on how it will support emission reduction goals set forth by the CLCPA. But when questioned on the specifics of how DPS would enforce that, a spokesperson said simply, “We monitor the activities and books of utilities on a regular basis.” The 991-page document says that the company is required to prioritize the removal of leak-prone pipes, halt marketing of natural gas and provide education about alternative heating. The commission, though, said the joint agreement as approved is in line with the CLCPA. “Rather than committing to costly gas infrastructure, I urge National Grid to instead face the inescapable conclusion that meeting our climate requires a prohibition on the construction of new major natural gas infrastructure,” Stringer wrote. In March 2020, City Comptroller Scott Stringer sent a letter to the company’s president, John Bruckner, saying that, “National Grid’s actions deeply threaten our progress towards a more sustainable future for our City.” He accused the company of attempting to “thumb its nose” at the CLCPA. Chuck Schumer joined protestors outside the National Grid facility in Greenpoint to publicly oppose the pipeline and rate hike. But by that time, the four other phases had been completed and were already transporting gas. The pipeline has been a point of contention for environmental justice groups, who successfully lobbied for a halt on construction in December 2019 before the fifth phase of construction could begin. In 2019, the company started construction of a five-phase, seven-mile fracked-gas pipeline that runs from Brownsville to Greenpoint in Brooklyn. Some legislators and city officials have suggested that National Grid’s pipeline, which the rate hikes fund, are in direct defiance of the CLCPA. ![]() The CLCPA, which was signed into law in July 2019 by Governor Andrew Cuomo, set aggressive climate benchmarks for the state, including 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040. The decision was the first rate hike that the department considered since the passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, a representative at DPS confirmed, setting a precedent for how the state might enforce the use of natural gas by corporations as the state strives to reduce its emissions. “The joint proposal does so, while remaining consistent with the environmental, social and economic policies of the commission and state.” “In short, the joint proposal protects the company’s customers, maintains the company’s ability to obtain capital at reasonable rates, and enables companies to continue to provide safe and reliable service to customers,” said Judge James Costello to the commissioners at the meeting.
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