The proposed natural gas pipeline from northern Pennsylvania to central New Jersey, which would be approximately 120 miles long (193 kilometers), will not be built, according to the group behind it. Despite winning a recent legal struggle against New Jersey in the Supreme Court, PennEast Pipeline Company claims the state has neglected to give specific permits and has put the project on hold. The decision is the latest development in a long-running attempt to produce natural gas from Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale.
Spokesperson Pat Kornick said, “PennEast partners, following extensive evaluation and discussion, recently determined further development of the project no longer is supported. Accordingly, PennEast has ceased all further development of the project.” It’s also a significant victory for environmentalists who opposed the project, claiming that it would leave a scar on the landscape, endangered species and increase the usage of fossil fuels. Opponents of the pipeline held a distant video conference to celebrate their triumph.
In June, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that firms developing interstate pipelines can obtain the land they need even if state resistance exists once the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved their projects. PennEast had received backing from both the Trump and Biden administrations. Nineteen states had petitioned the Supreme Court to decide in New Jersey’s favor. Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat, has been a vocal opponent of the project.
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