Trump administration allocates up to $42 million to restart stalled Northeast gas pipeline

The Trump administration is committing up to $42 million in federal money to revive the Constitution Pipeline, a stalled natural-gas conduit intended to transport up to 650,000 dekatherms per day from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale to the Northeast. The Department of Energy disclosed that the funds, granted under Title III of the Defense Production Act, will be used for permitting and pre-construction activities, with Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasizing the need for more supply to lower energy prices and prevent blackouts.

Construction is hoped to begin next spring, with the line entering service by the winter of 2028, aligning with Williams Companies’ target of a fourth-quarter-2028 start-up, subject to regulatory approval. The pipeline’s revival follows a 2020 abandonment after New York regulators rejected a key water-quality certification, but Constitution Pipeline Co. has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reissue its federal certificate. The investment comes amid tight winter gas supplies that have previously forced New England to rely on oil, and forecasts of higher heating-oil costs for the upcoming season.