OPEN SEASON FOR BIDS CLOSED – NO YET FILED WITH FERC
Open Season Ended November 17th, 2023
Enbridge is sought bids from buyers for increased capacity on its “Algonquin” Gas Transmission pipeline (AGT). It would supply the increase mostly through replacing existing smaller diameter pipe with larger diameter pipe, extending or installing new pipeline loops in parallel to existing pipeline facilities, and adding compression at existing compressor stations, depending on subscribed volumes (the amount of customers who bid and how much capacity they are willing to secure). There is currently no public facing information on how the Open Season bidding went, and what new customers they may have gained.
“The company said the project would expand capacity on the ‘Algonquin’ gas system by up to 500,000 Dth/d at the Ramapo, N.Y., receipt point at the western end of the pipeline and 250,000 Dth/d at the Salem, Mass., receipt point at the eastern end. The total current capacity of the ‘Algonquin’ system is just over 3 million Dth/d.” (Source)
» See “Project Maple” Open Season info
(Also see news articles posted below.)
ENBRIDGE FILED OTHER PROJECTS WITH FERC:
Since the end of the bidding season for Project Maple, Enbridge HAS filed two smaller projects, adding capacity on lateral lines of the main Algonquin Gas Transmission (AGT) line. We believe these are a means to getting small portions of it approved more easily and to make the final project look smaller. This practice has been ruled in court cases on other projects as “impermissible segmentation”. Stay tuned for a comment period on the latest filing!
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
At this early stage, there are likely no construction plans or FERC Docket, but it’s not to early to start pressing your Governor and other state energy and climate leaders – NOW – to deny any state permits for this gas expansion, and to speak out against the project.
If you live anywhere near the existing pipeline, let your local officials and state legislators know – NOW – that gas pipeline and compressor station expansion are not acceptable because of local environmental disruption and their contribution to the climate crisis.
Sample email to your local elected officials (please copy and paste, and make sure to personalize the content, especially if you have a working relationship with them):
Subject: Sign onto letter to Stop Project Maple Fracked Gas Expansion (“Project Maple”)
Dear __,
As a constituent, I urge you to sign onto the letter to Governor Healeyl to stop the expansion of pipeline and compressor stations along the Algonquin Incremental Market pipeline route.
Enbridge, the company which currently owns and operates the AIM pipeline, has proposed a fossil fuel expansion of that pipeline (dubbed “Project Maple”) that would span several different states including New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. While that proposal is in its early stages, if Enbridge completes an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), it will likely also need state permits in order to expand its operations here in Massachusetts. Governor Healey can ultimately prevent Enbridge from continuing to build out its fossil fuel infrastructure and must do so if any application for permits moves forward.
Enbridge’s fracked gas expansion, which entails increasing the amount of gas delivered from compressor stations on the route, would be an affront to communities already being impacted by the Algonquin pipeline and its recent AIM and Atlantic Bridge expansions which includes the Enbridge compressor station in Weymouth. The Environmental Justice communities of East Braintree, Germantown, Quincy Point and north Weymouth are already overburdened with the health and safety impacts of the carcinogenic emissions from this compressor station. These citizens require assurance there will be no more expansion.
Already, local elected officials and residents have joined with nearly 90 different community organizations in opposing Enbridge’s dangerous proposal. We urge you to join the growing opposition to this proposal to ensure Governor Healey does not allow “Project Maple” to move forward.
Please sign onto the letter to Governor Healey in opposition to Project Maple by filling out this form. Elected officials can also sign onto the letter by emailing us their signature and confirming they are getting on the letter.
I’ve CC’d organizers of this outreach effort at Food & Water Watch here as well, in case there are any questions. Looking forward to hearing back soon!
Take care,
(Your signature)
CONTACT INFO:
In Massachusetts:
— Governor Maura Healey
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St., Office of the Governor, Room 280, Boston, MA 02133
(888) 870-7770
» Online email form
— Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Rebecca Tepper
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 1020, Boston, MA 02114
(617) 626-1000
» Email
— Climate Chief, Melissa Hoffer
(617) 725-4005 (Constituent Services line)
» Email
In Rhode Island:
— Governor Dan McKee
(401) 222-2080
» Online email form
— Acting Commissioner, Office of Energy Resources, Christopher Kearns
» Email
— Climate Change Program and Policy Manager, Daniel Jameson
» Email
In Connecticut:
— Governor Ned Lamont
Office of Governor Ned Lamont
State Capitol, 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
800-406-1527
» Email Constituent Services
— Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Commissioner Katie Dykes
(860) 424-3001
» Email
*If you live in any of the towns along the “Algonquin” Pipeline route and hear of activity regarding this new project, please contact Rose at BEAT, team@thebeatnews.org. They might approach town boards or individual land owners with pipeline easements about expanding existing rights of way, or about replacing pipeline within the existing right of way. Towns with compressor stations (shown as squares on the map above), please take note, as increasing capacity for compressor stations is mentioned in the Open Season document above. This may not happen at this early stage, but we’d like to keep tabs on all incoming information.
RELATED NEWS:
» Fossil fuel company wants to expand gas pipeline in Northeast
September 22, 2023, Miriam Wasser, WBUR
» Enbridge Announces Project to Increase Northeast Pipeline Capacity
Enbridge Says Natural Gas Still Growing; Area Seeking to Reduce Natural Gas Us
Sep 21, 2023, Jon Lamson, RTO Insider