New England consumers are one step closer to seeing lower gas prices by next winter, thanks to a recent environmental approval that moves a proposed downstream pipeline closer to startup. On Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection issued a long-awaited air quality permit for Spectra Energy’s 7,700 horsepower compressor station to be constructed in Weymouth, Massachusetts – a key component of the company’s Atlantic Bridge pipeline project. Despite strong opposition from local citizens, politicians and the mayor of Weymouth, the state agency found that the compressor station would not pose any significant health risk to residents, moving the project forward. The town’s opposition, including protesters, has expressed the intent to appeal the state’s ruling in the months ahead. Still, the permit marks a major step forward for downstream gas markets in New England, which have long faced severe price spikes, The law, Dumoulin-Smith said, is “inconclusive” and has no precedent in the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which covers California. “There is a long list of unsecured creditors that are exposed to cash-flow interruptions including above-market renewable suppliers, natural gas suppliers, storage project developers, [Community Choice Aggregators], all of which receive 100% of their revenue through the [investor-owned utilities], and [California ISO] market participants,” said Gary Ackerman, the former executive director of the Western Power Trading Forum.
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