Gas Shortages Plague New York And Extreme Environmental Policies Are To Blame

February 19, 2019

Thanks to American ingenuity and the determination of energy workers, Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and other states are producing massive amounts of natural gas. The United States is now a net exporter of natural gas, and our production is only expected to grow.

Why then, with so much production, are the people of New York struggling to get gas and facing shortages?

The answer should not surprise you: extreme environmental policies.

The Wall Street Journal reports that New York has “missed out” on the natural gas windfall, thanks to the misguided eco-ideology of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Last month, Consolidated Edison, the utility that provides natural gas to the New York City area, announced that new customers in Westchester County will not be allowed natural gas connections.

As the Wall Street Journal notes, “The reason for the shortage is obvious: The Cuomo administration has repeatedly blocked or delayed new pipeline projects. As a Con Ed spokesman put it, there is a ‘lot of natural gas around the country, but getting it to New York has been the strain.’”

Not only are these policies preventing natural gas from being delivered to New York by refusing to construct needed pipelines – New York politicians are also preventing local production of natural gas.

New York is part of the Marcellus Shale, “one of the biggest and most prolific sources of natural gas in the country,” but in 2015 the Cuomo administration issued a permanent moratorium on natural gas drilling.

The current gas shortage is just the beginning of the impact of these disastrous policies. Electricity rates are rising, and Westchester County alone could lose a billion dollars in development.

New York residents deserve the same access to natural gas as residents of other states, and there is zero technological or financial barrier stopping this from happening.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, it’s not too late for you to admit you were wrong and reverse this moratorium on natural gas drilling. It’s time to do what’s right for the people of your state.