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Released November 11, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Eric Funderburk for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land Texas)
The permit reverses multiple decisions made on the permit by the agency, the last one of which came in 2020 and prompted Williams to put the project on ice, where it remained for years until the company officially declared that it would not proceed with the project in May 2024.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
However, with the election of U.S. President Donald Trump to his second term in office, Williams found an important supporter of the project, prompting the company to dust off its plans and begin the process of permitting again earlier this year. This time, Williams has met with success, and the DEC gave its approval for the water permit Friday. New Jersey joined New York in issuing a necessary water permit and permission for a new compressor station, as well as renewing air-quality permits that had expired.
In April, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a stop-work order for construction of Equinor's (Stavanger, Norway) Empire Wind 1 offshore windfarm, which would bring more than 800 megawatts (MW) of emissions-free generation into a power-hungry state with lofty emissions-reduction goals. While Hochul continues to deny that any deal was struck with the feds over the power and pipeline projects, a social media post from Burgum suggested that the lifting of the stop-work order on the windfarm came as the governor eased her stance on the pipelines. Williams officially announced the resumption of the NESE project less than 10 days after work on the windfarm was allowed to resume.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here for more details on the Empire Wind 1 project.
Since then, the pressure on New York to address both the NESE and Constitution pipelines has been unrelenting. As recently as Monday, November 3, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "Governor Kathy Hochul of New York State is killing the entire region with Energy Prices that are OUT OF CONTROL, and expected to TRIPLE because she can't get an Upstate and, separately, Long Island, PIPELINE built. All of Connecticut, including its Governor, and New England are REALLY ANGRY AT HER." In the same post, the U.S. president railed against New York City's traffic congestion fees before closing with, "The entire State is going to hell, so the Federal Government will, of necessity, get involved."
The 125-mile Constitution Pipeline would carry gas between Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale and upstate New York, but unlike the NESE, which is primarily intended for National Grid gas customers in areas of New York City and Long Island, the Constitution Pipeline would have increased the flow of gas into Connecticut and from there into Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. (Hence the president's references to Connecticut and New England in his Truth Social post.)
Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
While details remain uncertain about the pipeline's ultimate fate, in the DEC's announcement of the issuance the NESE permit, the agency also announced that the Williams subsidiary in charge of the Constitution project "today withdrew its application for permits, including the required Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification, for the proposed Constitution pipeline project. The withdrawal follows DEC's legally required comprehensive evaluation of the application materials and DEC's issuance of three Notices of Incomplete Application for insufficient information," going on to say that the developers did not respond to repeated requests for more information made in July, August and September, prompting Williams' Constitution Pipeline Company to formally withdraw its application.
However, with many vocal proponents of the pipeline and more than three years remaining of a very supportive White House administration, plans can always be tweaked and resubmitted by Williams; however, such actions remain speculative, although they would almost certainly stand to benefit the company.
Key Takeaways
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Summary
Countering a previous 2020 decision, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has issued a key water permit for a controversial natural gas pipeline, bringing construction of Williams Companies' Northeast Supply Enhancement project closer to reality.Reversing a Decision
New York environmental groups were up in arms on Friday after the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a key water-quality permit allowing for the construction of Williams Companies' (Tulsa, Oklahoma) Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) natural gas pipeline project on the company's Transco network. The NESE would carry natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey into parts of New York City and Long Island that are experiencing tight gas supplies.The permit reverses multiple decisions made on the permit by the agency, the last one of which came in 2020 and prompted Williams to put the project on ice, where it remained for years until the company officially declared that it would not proceed with the project in May 2024.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
However, with the election of U.S. President Donald Trump to his second term in office, Williams found an important supporter of the project, prompting the company to dust off its plans and begin the process of permitting again earlier this year. This time, Williams has met with success, and the DEC gave its approval for the water permit Friday. New Jersey joined New York in issuing a necessary water permit and permission for a new compressor station, as well as renewing air-quality permits that had expired.
Water Concerns
Primarily at issue is the NESE pipeline's 23.5 miles that traverse Raritan Bay between New Jersey and New York, entering Lower New York Bay and its destination near the borough of Queens. The DEC's recent permit clears up the biggest regulatory obstacle that previously held up the project and prompted Williams to shelve its plans.Pressure from Trump; a Possible Deal?
Since resuming office, Trump has been adamant about restarting the NESE and another New York gas pipeline project, the Constitution Pipeline. While New York's Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul has denied blindly acquiescing to the president's wishes, several news outlets have noted the alignment of the Trump administration reversing course on a stop-work order for another important New York energy project and Williams' announcement within shortly thereafter that it would revive the project.In April, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a stop-work order for construction of Equinor's (Stavanger, Norway) Empire Wind 1 offshore windfarm, which would bring more than 800 megawatts (MW) of emissions-free generation into a power-hungry state with lofty emissions-reduction goals. While Hochul continues to deny that any deal was struck with the feds over the power and pipeline projects, a social media post from Burgum suggested that the lifting of the stop-work order on the windfarm came as the governor eased her stance on the pipelines. Williams officially announced the resumption of the NESE project less than 10 days after work on the windfarm was allowed to resume.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here for more details on the Empire Wind 1 project.
Since then, the pressure on New York to address both the NESE and Constitution pipelines has been unrelenting. As recently as Monday, November 3, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "Governor Kathy Hochul of New York State is killing the entire region with Energy Prices that are OUT OF CONTROL, and expected to TRIPLE because she can't get an Upstate and, separately, Long Island, PIPELINE built. All of Connecticut, including its Governor, and New England are REALLY ANGRY AT HER." In the same post, the U.S. president railed against New York City's traffic congestion fees before closing with, "The entire State is going to hell, so the Federal Government will, of necessity, get involved."
As One Pipeline Moves Forward, Another Shelved (For Now)
While one can hope that the NESE's recent water-quality permit will ease the president's ire a bit, he certainly hasn't got all he was after, and things are looking decidedly less rosy for the other Williams gas pipeline project he was pushing, the Constitution Pipeline.The 125-mile Constitution Pipeline would carry gas between Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale and upstate New York, but unlike the NESE, which is primarily intended for National Grid gas customers in areas of New York City and Long Island, the Constitution Pipeline would have increased the flow of gas into Connecticut and from there into Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. (Hence the president's references to Connecticut and New England in his Truth Social post.)
Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
While details remain uncertain about the pipeline's ultimate fate, in the DEC's announcement of the issuance the NESE permit, the agency also announced that the Williams subsidiary in charge of the Constitution project "today withdrew its application for permits, including the required Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification, for the proposed Constitution pipeline project. The withdrawal follows DEC's legally required comprehensive evaluation of the application materials and DEC's issuance of three Notices of Incomplete Application for insufficient information," going on to say that the developers did not respond to repeated requests for more information made in July, August and September, prompting Williams' Constitution Pipeline Company to formally withdraw its application.
However, with many vocal proponents of the pipeline and more than three years remaining of a very supportive White House administration, plans can always be tweaked and resubmitted by Williams; however, such actions remain speculative, although they would almost certainly stand to benefit the company.
Key Takeaways
- New York's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has issued a key water-quality permit for Williams Companies' Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) gas pipeline project.
- The pipeline will bring natural gas to National Grid customers in parts of New York City and Long Island.
- The DEC announced that the application for another Williams gas pipeline, the Constitution Pipeline, had been withdrawn by the company.
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
