Cuomo threatens to revoke National Grid license
BY BILL PARRY
Governor Andrew Cuomo
has drawn a line in the sand for
National Grid, giving the utility
company 14 days to restore gas
service to 1,100 customers in
Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island
or the state will revoke its
certificate to operate its downstate
gas franchise.
In a letter to National Grid
CEO John Pettigrew and President
John Bruckner, Cuomo
said National Grid showed
“reckless disregard” for its customers
after it declared a moratorium
on service to new and
returning customers since May
in response to continued state
opposition to the $1 billion Williams
pipeline project.
“The essential responsibility
for a utility to provide adequate
and reliable service is to manage
the supply and demand,”
Cuomo wrote. “The very lack of
supply you now point to as the
reason for your denial of service
to thousands of customers
exhibits your failure to plan for
supply needs.”
Cuomo added that there are
only two theories to explain National
Grid’s actions.
“Either National Grid was
grossly negligent in relying exclusively
on the speculative construction
of a private pipeline
to meet the demands that it was
statutorily required to provide;
or, National Grid deliberately
defrauded the people of the state
by not developing or pursuing
existing supply options to force
approval and reliance on a private
pipeline to further their
business interests at the cost of
the consumer,” Cuomo wrote.
A spokeswoman for National
Grid received the governor’s letter
and will review and respond
accordingly within the 14 days.
“We continue to work with
all parties on these critical natural
gas supply issues on behalf
of all our customers in downstate
New York.”
The state denied permits for
the Williams pipeline project
twice over concerns it would
contaminate New York Harbor
during its construction. Cuomo
stated that even if the pipeline
were permitted to bring fracked
natural gas from Pennsylvania
to a terminus three miles off
the coast of Rockaway Beach,
it would not be in service until
December 2020 at the earliest,
Governor Cuomo moved to revoke National Grid’s certificate to
operate its natural gas franchise in downstate New York.
and that National Grid did not
have a plan for supplying the
region adequately as this winter
sets in.
“I appreciate Governor Cuomo
stepping up to help protect
residents across the city, especially
my constituents on the
Rockaway Peninsula and northern
mainland communities,”
state Senator Joseph Addabbo
said. “Nat Grid should not be
allowed to hold these residents,
some who are still not back in
Photo via Flickr
their homes after losing everything
to Superstorm Sandy, hostage
by not providing it vital gas
service, especially with winter
right around the corner.”
The Stop the Williams
Pipeline Coalition, which includes
organizations such as
the Rockaway Beach Civic Association
and Ocean Action
Research Rockaway, thanked
Cuomo for listening to the
people while showing climate
leadership by standing up to
National Grid’s disastrous
moratorium scare tactics.
“Now is the moment for
New York State to fund renewable
solutions and set the path
to get off gas as dozens of other
cities across the nation are doing,”
the group said. “This is a
huge opportunity to go all-in on
community-led solutions as the
Climate Leadership And Community
Protect Act, signed into
law this year, requires us to
reduce emissions.”
Cuomo wrote that the utility’s
failure to address the supply
issue, the abuse of their customers,
the adverse economic
impact caused by stalling
private development, and the
associated diminution of tax
revenues to local government,
clearly demonstrate that National
Grid’s operations were
not in the public interest.
“I was Attorney General of
this state,” Cuomo told NY1.
“My job is to protect consumers,
protect the citizens of this state.
National Grid’s job is to protect
its shareholders. I get it, but I’m
not going to let the people of New
York be bullied and exploited.
I’m not going to do that. Not as
long as I’m in this seat.”
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TIMESLEDGER,20 NOV. 15-21, 2019 QNS.COM
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