Kinder Morgan Adopts New Pipeline Routes through Massachusetts and other NE States
HOUSTON (WGGB/AP) — Tennessee Gas Pipeline parent company Kinder Morgan says they’re adopting 2 alternative routes for the proposed high-pressure natural gas pipeline project in an effort to “minimize environmental impact.”
The announcement came Friday afternoon. The TGP is a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc. which is the largest energy infrastructure company in North America. Their pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, CO2 and other products.
The route would travel from New York into western Massachusetts for 63 miles, then turn north and continue for another 70 miles in southern New Hampshire before turning south again and ending in Dracut.
The company says by changing the routes it will allow for the expansion of natural gas service in New Hampshire. In a press release sent to ABC40 Friday, the company states, “Following a thorough evaluation of feasible route alternatives for the market path of the project from Wright, New York, to Dracut, Massachusetts, the company plans to submit an amended resource report filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Monday, Dec. 8.”
The plan by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company is to adopt both the New York Powerline Alternative and the New Hampshire Powerline Alternative using the existing utility corridors to lessen the environmental impact of the project. TGP says, “The proposed route change will enable the company to avoid and substantially minimize the crossing of certain Article 97 properties and area of critical environmental concern in Massachusetts.”
Kinder Morgan spokesman Allen Fore said Friday that the path would weave through 16 Massachusetts communities and 17 in New Hampshire.
The original plan for the pipeline started in the Berkshires, headed north through parts of Franklin County, and continued on to Dracut, Mass. All told, 45 towns would have been affected and for months there have been push-backs from groups across western Massachusetts not wanting to see the project come to their community. Opposition also came from local politicians including Senator Ed Markey, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Congressman Jim McGovern.
“While evaluating the feasibility of possible routes, which is a critical part of the regulatory review prior to building a pipeline, as we committed to do when we started this process, we have listened to stakeholders and taken their comments and concerns seriously,” said East Region Pipelines President Kimberly S. Watson. “By adopting the New York Powerline Alternative and the New Hampshire Powerline Alternative, TGP will be able to construct significantly more of the pipeline adjacent to and parallel with existing utility corridors in portions of New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, reduce the need for construction in undeveloped portions of the market path region and lessen environmental impacts. Additionally, we are working with Liberty Utilities and others to expand natural gas service into new areas in New Hampshire.”
The project is being developed to serve specifically the New England region and would provide additional access to diverse supplies of natural gas to customers in New England. The firm hopes to break ground on the two-year, $5 billion project in early 2017.
To read more about this latest project development with the Tennesse Gas Pipeline visit Kinder Morgan’s website by clicking here.
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Tennessee Gas Pipeline Adopts New Routes via Existing Utility Corridors in New Hampshire and New York for Proposed Northeast Energy Direct Project
Friday, December 5, 2014 2:00 pm EST
"While evaluating the feasibility of possible routes, which is a
critical part of the regulatory review prior to building a pipeline,
as we committed to do when we started this process, we have
listened to stakeholders and taken their comments and concerns
seriously"
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (TGP), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI), is adopting two alternative routes for its proposed Northeast Energy Direct project to minimize environmental impact and allow for the expansion of natural gas service in the state of New Hampshire. Following a thorough evaluation of feasible route alternatives for the market path of the project from Wright, New York, to Dracut, Massachusetts, the company plans to submit an amended resource report filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Monday, Dec. 8. TGP plans to adopt both the New York Powerline Alternative and the New Hampshire Powerline Alternative, which will utilize existing utility corridors to lessen the environmental impact of the project. TGP is also notifying elected officials, federal and state regulatory agencies, and landowners in proximity to the proposed pipeline of its decision. TGP also noted the proposed route change will enable the company to avoid and substantially minimize the crossing of certain Article 97 properties and areas of critical environmental concern in Massachusetts.
“While evaluating the feasibility of possible routes, which is a critical part of the regulatory review prior to building a pipeline, as we committed to do when we started this process, we have listened to stakeholders and taken their comments and concerns seriously,” said East Region Pipelines President Kimberly S. Watson. “By adopting the New York Powerline Alternative and the New Hampshire Powerline Alternative, TGP will be able to construct significantly more of the pipeline adjacent to and parallel with existing utility corridors in portions of New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, reduce the need for construction in undeveloped portions of the market path region and lessen environmental impacts. Additionally, we are working with Liberty Utilities and others to expand natural gas service into new areas in New Hampshire.”
In November, Liberty Utilities (Pipeline & Transmission) Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (APUC), and a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc. agreed to form a new entity, Northeast Expansion LLC, to undertake development, construction and ownership of a 30-inch or 36-inch natural gas transmission pipeline to be located between Wright, New York, and Dracut, Massachusetts. Under the agreement, APUC will initially subscribe for a 2.5 percent interest in the new entity, with an opportunity to increase its participation up to 10 percent.
The NED Project is being developed to serve specifically the New England region. The New England region, as a whole, stands to benefit from the NED Project as it will bring additional gas supplies to meet the growth needs of local distribution companies, enable New England to sustain its reliance on natural gas-fired generation and lower energy costs by providing scalable transportation capacity attached to lower cost, nearby domestic and abundant Marcellus natural gas supplies. As part of TGP’s fully integrated natural gas pipeline transportation system, the project will provide additional access to diverse supplies of natural gas to customers in the New England region.
With the adoption of the New York Powerline Alternative and the New Hampshire Powerline Alternative, the proposed revised route will now include: approximately 188 miles of new and co-located mainline pipeline facilities, including about 53 miles of pipeline generally co-located with TGP’s existing 200 Line and an existing power utility corridor in western New York near the proposed Market Path Mid Station No. 1; approximately 64 miles of pipeline generally co-located with an existing power utility corridor in eastern Massachusetts; and approximately 71 miles of pipeline generally co-located with an existing power utility corridor in southern New Hampshire, extending east to the proposed Dracut, Massachusetts, Market Path Tail Station. As currently contemplated, exclusive of laterals, the route would be adjacent to or co-located with existing rights-of-way for approximately 90 percent of the mileage. TGP’s filing will reflect the revisions to and a full description of the proposed route and proposed project facilities.
TGP plans to host open houses in the project area beginning in mid January 2015 to provide additional information and answer questions. The open house schedule will be sent to landowners in proximity to the proposed pipeline, towns and communities, and elected officials when the dates and locations for those open houses have been established. The schedule will also be filed with the FERC and posted on the NED Project website: www.kindermorgan.com.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) is the largest energy infrastructure company in North America. It owns an interest in or operates approximately 80,000 miles of pipelines and 180 terminals. The company’s pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, CO2 and other products, and its terminals store petroleum products and chemicals, and handle bulk materials like coal and petroleum coke. Kinder Morgan is the largest midstream and third largest energy company in North America with an enterprise value of more than $125 billion. For more information please visit www.kindermorgan.com.
This news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management, based on information currently available to them. Although Kinder Morgan believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that such assumptions will materialize. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements herein include those enumerated in Kinder Morgan’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and except to the extent required by law, Kinder Morgan undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or other factors. Because of these uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
Contact:
Kinder Morgan, Inc.
Media Relations
Richard Wheatley, (713) 420-6828
Richard_wheatley@kindermorgan.com
or
Investor Relations
(713) 369-9490
km_ir@kindermorgan.com
www.kindermorgan.com
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Tennessee Gas Pipeline Northeast Energy Direct (NED) Project
Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (TGP), a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, is developing the Northeast Energy Direct Project (NED) by upgrading infrastructure in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut to help meet increased demand for natural gas.
Project Benefits:
- Scalable up to 1.2 Bcf/d (30”) and 2.2 Bcf/d (36”)
- Liberates costly bottlenecks and lowers gas/electric prices for consumers
- Supplies Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canada with incremental and direct access to prolific and regional low cost abundant natural gas
- Replaces declining historical gas sources
- Designed to serve:
- New and existing gas and power generation markets along TGP’s existing footprint,
- Markets on the Algonquin system via M&NP HubLine and Mendon
- Eastern Canadian, Upstate/Downstate New York and southern Connecticut markets via Iroquois,
- Maine and Atlantic Canada Markets via M&NP/PNGTS Joint Facilities,
- Additional broad New England markets via existing / expanding interconnections,
- New markets where gas service is currently unavailable
- Approximately 90% co-located along existing utility corridors/adjacent to TGP mainline
The Transformative NED Project:
- Directly accesses prolific, low-cost, regional supplies
- Reduces or eliminates cost harm and basis differentials in the region
- Serves broad sectors and locales whether LDC service or critical power generation.
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In face of opposition, company to reroute gas pipeline
Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Kinder Morgan, Inc. said the alternative path would follow
existing rights-of-way along utility lines, meaning it would cross fewer
Massachusetts communities.Stung by intense local opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline winding through western and central Massachusetts, a Houston energy company said Friday that it will pursue an alternative route that bypasses many Massachusetts communities by veering north and shooting across southern New Hampshire.
Kinder Morgan Inc. said much of the alternative path would follow existing rights-of-way along utility lines in the two states, meaning it would cross fewer residential properties and undeveloped lands. Kinder Morgan plans to file the new route on Monday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has final say on gas pipelines in New England.
Kinder Morgan officials said that 14 Massachusetts towns along the northern tier of the state, from Dracut to Northfield will no longer be in the pipeline’s path. But the pipeline would cross four new Massachusetts towns: Cheshire, Hancock, Lanesborough, and Shelburne, and a southern stretch of New Hampshire.
To meet the region’s growing demand for natural gas, Kinder Morgan previously sought to build a 127-mile pipeline stretching from Richmond near the New York border across Massachusetts’ northern spine to a transmission hub in Dracut, about 30 miles from Boston. Kinder Morgan’s original multibillion-dollar plan aimed to tap abundant, inexpensive natural gas from Eastern shale fields to help ease a shortage here blamed on inadequate pipeline capacity.
Kinder Morgan’s first pipeline proposal met widespread opposition from residents, environmentalists, and politicians who argued the pipeline would needlessly rip up private yards, parks, forests, and other properties along its path through about 45 communities. But if Kinder Morgan’s goal is to lessen opposition by proposing a new route, it may have miscalculated.
Diane Hewitt, a member of the Stop the Pipeline Coordinating Committee in Groton, said she and other critics will still oppose Kinder Morgan’s plans, even though the proposed pipeline would no longer go through Groton. She added that her group is already in contact with New Hemisphere residents, where a meeting to fight the pipeline is planned for later this month.
“It doesn’t change people’s minds,” said Hewitt. “It still begs the question whether the pipeline is even needed.”
Kinder Morgan’s alternative would still entail 64 miles of new pipeline in Massachusetts, starting along the New York border in Hancock, then snaking its way through Hinsdale and northwest to Northfield.
The alternative pipeline would then head into southern New Hampshire, running east along existing electric and natural gas corridors, before dipping back into Massachusetts near Dracut, according to Kinder Morgan. The New Hampshire section of the main pipeline would stretch 70 miles through 17 communities, the company said.
In Massachusetts, the main alternative pipeline would be entirely on or adjacent to transmission lines owned by Northeast Utilities. A spokesman for Northeast Utilities, the parent of Boston’s NStar and Western Massachusetts Electric, said Kinder Morgan officials have contacted the utility about its plan, but Northeast has not seen details.
“We haven’t authorized the use of our rights-of-way, nor have we taken a position on their proposal,” said Mike Durand, the spokesman.
Allen Fore, a spokesman for Kinder Morgan, expressed confidence that the company can work out a deal with Northeast Utilities. He also acknowledged that fierce local opposition drove Kinder Morgan’s decision to go with an alternative plan.
“We have heard and we have listened,” said Fore. Ideally, he said, Kinder Morgan would like to start construction on the pipeline in 2017.
Doug Whitbeck, a resident of Mason, N.H., said he opposed the first Kinder Morgan plan because it was so close to New Hampshire and thought it was a bad idea for the entire region. Whitbeck, a retired technical writer, is helping to organize a Dec. 13 informational meeting in Mason about Kinder Morgan’s latest plan.
Whitbeck said the reasons for opposing the pipeline in “live free or die” New Hampshire may be different than in more liberal Massachusetts, but opposition could be just as strong.
“There’s a lot of people up here who may not be as concerned about climate change, but they do very much care about property rights,” said Whitbeck.
Kinder Morgan has not ruled out isolated cases of eminent domain property takings, although Fore stressed that 90 percent of the main pipeline through New Hampshire would be on or near transmission-line rights-of-way owned by utilities.
William Hinkle, a spokesman for New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, said in a statement that rising energy costs are a major concern and Hassan is exploring ways to bring more natural gas into the state. But she has not embraced Kinder Morgan’s plan.
“Governor Hassan will continue to urge the company to listen to communities, take steps to reduce impacts, and ensure local benefits,” said Hinkle.
In Massachusetts, Governor-elect Charlie Baker came out against the Kinder Morgan’s original proposal during his campaign, saying that its impact on communities was too great and he favored increasing capacity on existing pipelines. This week, a spokesman said Baker will review the new Kinder Morgan plan after he takes office in January.