Vets4Energy: Natural Gas Infrastructure Badly Needed

From Vets 4 Energy: This time of year and as Veterans who reside in New England, we feel a responsibility to contribute to the national energy conversation. U.S. domestic energy means more to us than convenience – much more.

The ability to be reliant on just domestic sources for our fueling needs is an indispensable priority – one that so many have sacrificed to defend. The benefits of natural gas are a matter that’s close to home for us and all other Service-Men and -Women. Through the use of current technologies in product manufacturing by the natural gas industry, our soldiers receive life-saving apparel, including ballistic vests, Kevlar helmets, and Kevlar bolt-on armor. We are deeply grateful for developments like these – innovations that are saving lives. At home – energy infrastructure projects that require the inter-state cooperation of leaders in order to connect all citizens to American energy safely and consistency means lowered energy costs. That’s why it upsets us to know that New York’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, has adamantly stood against the expansion of energy infrastructure, not only into New York State, but because of how New York is positioned within the northeast, all of New England as well. Decisions made to stop energy infrastructure by New York politicians are serving as a choke- hold to the expanded delivery of abundant U.S. natural gas to fellow Americans up north.

New England’s energy infrastructure is lacking the capacity to meet demand. That forces utilities to use other forms of energy production like coal, oil and imported LNG some of which comes from Russia, in order to keep up with recent cold snaps. Who pays for this lack of modernization to infrastructure and lack of foresight? All of New England does. Through denying the passage of pipelines, families and business owners find no relief from the heavy burden of high electricity and heating costs. These are not luxuries, but everyday needs that all Americans should be able to afford.

Many U.S. soldiers call New England home, either permanently or temporarily during assignments. Do you see the irony in these soldiers coming home from serving our great country – protecting the U.S. and its allies from unfriendly, terror-inflicting nations and organizations – to be restricted from sharing in the abundant energy-wealth of their own country?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has already approved pipeline projects that will transport natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale located in the middle-Atlantic states. Approvals like this don’t come without extensive research on potential environmental impacts and safety mitigation measures.

If energy infrastructure, in particular pipelines, that transport natural gas, were a new, under- developed technology, then maybe some reluctance could be tolerated; but the fact is pipelines have proven, over decades of use,to be the safest means for transporting natural gas.

The U.S. currently has over 2.4 million miles of energy pipeline in place. Pipelines are a modern, safe, highly developed form of infrastructure in this country – with a 99.99% safety rating. How many other industries can tout that number? Using the Cuomo prohibition as a guide, it makes us wonder … if he had been Governor in the late 19th-century, would he have stood in the way of telephone lines crossing New York into neighboring states? And what about railroads? Would the good Governor have been of a mind to keep that project on hold as well? Both of these American innovations have improved the quality of life and cost of living for our citizens – and by the way, both originated in New England. Doing the right thing for the good of your neighbor – what we consider being an American – is more important than winning the next term in office. Putting the needs of the many in front of what is good for your personal agenda is the right thing to do and is part of being an American. It’s time for New York state residents to be given the freedom to exercise their property rights. All of New York is not Cuomo’s front yard.

Governor Cuomo, you can’t simply draw the curtains on your office and forget that New Englanders are paying up to three times (according to a Bloomberg report) the average cost for natural gas – all due to a lack of energy infrastructure that would cut costs dramatically. In our view energy security is a national effort. If a state has the resources it has an obligation to make a contribution. It’s time for New York to start pulling its weight.

Paul Chevalier - Vets4Energy New Hampshire
Rich DeNoyer – Vets4Energy Massachusetts
Brendan Kennedy - Vets4Energy Connecticut
Paul Lloyd - Vets4Energy Rhode Island
Steve San Pedro - Vets4Energy Maine
Ron Tallman - Vets4Energy Vermont

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