Hundreds Rally Against Hochul After She Greenlights Controversial Pipeline

Governor Kathy Hochul is facing mounting backlash after her administration approved a long-delayed natural gas pipeline through New York Harbor — a project that had been rejected multiple times in previous years over environmental concerns.

More than 200 demonstrators gathered outside Hochul’s New York City office on Tuesday to protest the decision, condemning the state’s approval of the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline. The project, spearheaded by energy companies Williams and Transco, includes a 17.4-mile underwater section running through the Raritan and Lower New York bays near Staten Island.

The approval marked a major reversal for the project which was previously denied three times under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, a provision designed to regulate pollution and water quality standards. Environmental groups argue that the construction will disturb contaminated sediment on the seabed, potentially releasing toxic materials into nearby waters.

Critics say the decision represents a betrayal of New York’s climate commitments. Laura Shindell of Food & Water Watch accused Hochul of “turning her back on New York families to do Donald Trump’s dirty work,” calling the pipeline a threat that will “poison our harbor, drive up energy bills, and keep New York shackled to fossil fuels for decades.”

The pipeline’s financing will include a 3.5% rate hike for National Grid customers across New York City and Long Island even though certain regions, including Staten Island, will not receive any direct energy benefit from the project. Meg Metzger, a Brooklyn parent and member of Climate Families NYC, said her family was appalled by the approval, warning that it would raise costs and risk polluting the city’s waterways with lead and arsenic.

Environmental advocates pointed to cleaner alternatives, saying New York’s energy needs could be met with solar and renewable sources instead of expanding gas infrastructure.

Just hours after New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) granted approval under Section 401, New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection also signed off on both Section 401 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, clearing the project on both sides of the bay.

Williams President and CEO Chad Zamarin praised the decision, saying, “We’re proud to move NESE forward and do our part in providing New Yorkers access to clean, reliable and affordable natural gas,” adding that the project would help lower costs and support economic growth.

However, many see the move as a sharp reversal from the state’s own environmental regulators. In 2020, the DEC had denied the project saying its construction “would result in significant water quality impacts resulting from the re-suspension of sediments and other contaminants, including mercury and copper,” and would disturb “sensitive habitats, including shellfish beds and other bottom-dwelling marine life.” The agency concluded at the time that New York was “not prepared to sacrifice the state’s water quality for a project that is not only environmentally harmful, but also unnecessary.”

The pipeline’s revival is linked to President Donald Trump’s second term, during which his administration reinstated several fossil fuel projects previously blocked under environmental rules. Trump’s energy policy has focused on boosting domestic oil and gas production, rolling back restrictions, and sidelining renewable initiatives.

As protests continue, opponents of the NESE pipeline vow to fight on, arguing that the project’s approval marks a major step backward for New York’s climate goals and a betrayal by Hochul.

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Hundreds Rally Against Hochul After She Greenlights Controversial Pipeline