Residents of Northeastern states are struggling with increased electricity costs and an unreliable energy supply as elected officials contemplate expanding natural gas pipelines in the region.
Consolidated Edison, Inc., a New York utility provider, announced on January 18 a moratorium on new natural gas customers in Westchester County, beginning on March 15. The reason given by the utility was "new demand for gas is reaching the limits of the current supplies to our service area." Politico reported that New York State's reluctance to construct new natural gas pipelines is preventing adequate supplies from reaching growing economic centers in New York City, Long Island and Yonkers.
In neighboring New England, the shortage of natural gas infrastructure is more widespread.
"The New England states used to be dependent on coal, oil, nuclear and hydroelectricity," said Dan Kish, senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research. "And they've shifted quickly to natural gas for generation, and they've shifted so fast that it's caused huge draws of natural gas into the system [pipelines] without increasing infrastructure."

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