Thanks To Andrew Cuomo’s Eco-Extremism, New York Is Importing Fuel From Russia

May 7, 2019

For eight years, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has capitulated to the eco-left. From preventing the construction of needed pipelines to banning fracking, he has implemented an extreme environmentalist agenda.

Now, the consequences of those decisions are hitting New York residents hard.

Earlier this year, we told you how New York is facing shortages of natural gas, even though it has plentiful shale reserves and shares a border with Pennsylvania, a state that also has shale reserves. As the Wall Street Journal noted, “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.’”

It seems New York has a partial solution – import liquefied natural gas from Russia.

That’s right, instead of permitting pipelines and fracking to get access to domestic natural gas, New York is importing energy from across the world – and from a geopolitical rival to boot.

Chuck DeVore, Vice President of the Texas Public Policy Foundation explains, “And, while Gov. Cuomo continues to obstruct new pipelines, generating political goodwill from some, his state’s policies, combined with a 99-year-old law that bans foreign vessels from shipping cargo between U.S. ports, result in the importation of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago—rather than Pennsylvania or Texas.”

This is incredibly inefficient, as it costs a “considerable premium to liquify and transport the fuel.”

Why aren’t environmentalists up in arms? How much carbon is emitted to transport gas from Russia?

This is just another example of how eco-extremist policies make no sense in practice and even hurt their own goals.

Thankfully, the Trump administration is working on a plan to fix Cuomo’s mess. President Trump recently signed executive orders to speed up the permitting process for pipelines – but it will take time.

The people of New York know who to thank for high natural gas prices and shortages.