Federal officials broke ground Tuesday on a portion of the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Pipeline, a massive Williams Companies expansion project of the existing Transco natural gas pipeline system that will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York City and Long Island.
“When government, labor, and industry pull in the same direction, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish,” said Williams Companies CEO Chad Zamarin, “and NESE is a $1 billion direct investment in the American worker.”
Williams’ NESE project will expand the existing Transco natural gas pipeline system, which already serves as a critical energy artery stretching through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
Construction activities are slated across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and they include installing pipeline loops, adding pipeline segments next to existing pipelines, modifying existing facilities, and connecting new infrastructure to existing systems, according to Williams.
In Pennsylvania specifically, the scope of work includes the New Quarryville Loop with 10.1 miles of 42-inch-diameter pipeline loop in Quarryville, Lancaster County, and the company will add one electric motor-driven compressor at Station 200 in Chester County.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of the Department of Interior Doug Burgum, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin also participated in the ground-breaking ceremony in New York for the project, which will add a total 400,000 dekatherms per day of capacity, or enough energy to serve some 2.3 million homes.
“For decades, poor political choices obstructed the building of energy infrastructure, leading to higher energy costs for millions of Americans,” Wright said. “This project is a win-win: natural gas is a reliable, low-cost, clean burning option for New Yorkers to heat and power their homes and businesses.”
NESE remains on track to be in service by the fourth quarter of 2027, according to EPA officials.
“Delivering natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York City and Long Island will lower costs while helping to meet the growing energy demand of this region,” said Zeldin. “We celebrate this incredible accomplishment and will continue pursuing every way possible to make life more affordable for all Americans.”
The project will create thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions in economic benefits while delivering long-term energy reliability. Williams said the pipeline would be built and operated to the highest safety standards, leveraging advanced monitoring and automation technology. The project reduces CO2 emissions by over 13,000 tons, displaces higher-carbon fuels, and uses modern materials and electric compressors to minimize both emissions and noise.
“While China has outpaced American electricity production, past administrations put our energy and national security at risk by burying America’s balance sheet under red tape,” added Burgum. “This project alone is expected to lower electricity bills by $6 billion over the next 15 years and stimulate up to $1.8 billion in economic development. That’s a huge win for American families.”