National Grid Pulls Application for Gas Vaporizers in North Brooklyn After State Finds Them Unnecessary
The utility withdrew its permit request for two large boilers at its Greenpoint facility after a state regulator said the project was not needed to meet energy demand for at least five years.
By Jacob Leary ·
National Grid has withdrawn its application to build two large natural gas vaporizers in North Brooklyn, following a determination by a state utility regulator that the project was not needed to meet energy demands.
The company had intended to install the vaporizers, which process liquid natural gas, at its Greenpoint Energy Center. National Grid said the equipment would have let it deliver energy at a faster rate during periods of peak use, such as cold snaps, and argued that this capacity was necessary to meet forecasted demand.
Last month, however, the state Public Service Commission announced that the vaporizers would not be required to meet energy demands for at least the next five years, and possibly longer. As a result, the state will not reimburse National Grid for the $38.8 million in costs the utility incurred while developing the project.
In a letter to the state Department of Environmental Conservation last month, National Grid formally withdrew its application. The utility said it disagreed with the commission's analysis and intended to resubmit the application in the future.
For the moment, the withdrawal is a victory for lawmakers and environmental advocates who have long urged the company to stop expanding gas infrastructure in North Brooklyn. They have pointed to the potential health risks the vaporizers could pose to nearby residents, as well as the need for New York City to move away from non-renewable energy sources such as gas.
"This is a huge victory for the North Brooklyn community and for advocates for environmental justice everywhere," said Councilmember Lincoln Restler, who represents parts of Greenpoint and Williamsburg. "We are well past the point where we can afford to build new fossil fuel infrastructure."
Lawmakers and advocates have protested National Grid's projects in the neighborhood for more than three years, including a campaign to stop the expansion of a natural gas pipeline. Kim Fraczek, director of the state environmental advocacy group Sane Energy, said the city is shifting toward renewable energy. "We're talking about energy efficiency, building electrification — we don't need the gas anymore," she said.
Advocates said they would keep opposing the project if the utility files again. Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, who represents part of North Brooklyn, said the gas industry is trying to entrench itself in communities through infrastructure while others work to phase out oil and gas. "National Grid and others need to be focusing on rapidly transitioning to renewables," she said.
In a statement Monday, National Grid said it still believes bringing the vaporizers online is necessary to maintain a reliable energy supply. The company also said the project would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing older, less efficient equipment.
Source: Gothamist
