By William Opalka
Eversource Energy and National Grid have withdrawn their requests to bill electric ratepayers for natural gas capacity from the proposed Access Northeast pipeline project, bowing to a ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
The filings made Monday for their four electric distribution companies followed the court’s Aug. 17 decision vacating an order by the state Department of Public Utilities approving pipeline capacity contracts. (See Mass. Supreme Court Vacates EDC-Pipeline Contract Order.)
Last week, state Attorney General Maura Healey filed a motion asking the DPU to dismiss the contracts.
Eversource spokesman Michael Durand said the companies’ filings with the DPU were a formality in light of the court’s decision. “This does not affect our commitment to the project. We remain committed to working with the New England states to provide the infrastructure so urgently needed to ensure reliable and lower-cost electricity for customers,” he said.
“The companies reserve the right to seek department approval of the same or similar agreements in the future to the extent that, in the future, there is a change in relation to the department’s legal authority to approve such agreements,” Eversource wrote. National Grid made an identical filing on behalf of its EDCs.
Eversource and National Grid are co-sponsors of Access Northeast, which developer Spectra Energy says will deliver 925,000 dekatherms/day of natural gas to the New England power market.
Spectra spokesman Creighton Welch said the company is not giving up on the pipeline. “There is a sizeable need for natural gas throughout New England that is unabated by the court’s decision,” Welch said. “Therefore, our path forward is clear and our mission to re-establish the Massachusetts contribution is full-speed ahead. We are confident that, ultimately, the interests of New England’s consumers will prevail with desperately needed gas supply made available by Access Northeast.”
The Conservation Law Foundation, the successful plaintiff in the case, said the EDCs had no choice. “The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made it clear last week that electric companies can’t gamble on pipelines with the hard-earned money of businesses and families across our state. That is exactly what these contracts would have done, and so Eversource and National Grid had no choice but to face reality and withdraw their proposals,” spokesman Josh Block said.