WBUR - Shifting Demand Fuels Weymouth Compressor Debate

Last week, WBUR reported that Eversource and National Grid stated that they do not need the compressor. Now there is news of a third utility: Norwich Public Utilities in Connecticut. If these utilities are stating that they do not need the gas that would build the compressor, why is Enbridge still insisting on building it?

You can read the full piece from WBUR here. Many thanks to them for continuing to cover this important issue.

Excerpt: “The energy company Enbridge has a plan, and it's called the Atlantic Bridge Project. Approved by federal regulators in 2017, the $452 million project would pipe more natural gas north from New Jersey into New England and Canada. To make the project work, Enbridge says it needs to build a 7,700-horsepower compressor station in Weymouth to push gas up the pipeline to customers farther north.

But two of the customers that signed on to the Atlantic Bridge Project — New Brunswick-based New England NG Supply Limited (NENG) and Exelon Corporation — have backed away from their contracts with Enbridge and agreed to sell at least part of their capacity to National Grid.

And National Grid — along with Eversource and Norwich Public Utilities in Connecticut — says it does not need the proposed Weymouth compressor to meet customer demand for gas.

That leaves three out-of-state utilities that still need the compressor station to push gas northward: Maine Natural Gas, New Hampshire-based Unitil and Summit Natural Gas of Maine, which plans to acquire the remaining capacity on Exelon's contract, according to federal documents.” (WBUR, 2019)

And here a separate audio clip update from WBUR: Weymouth Compressor Station's Permit Is Delayed Again.