Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced $42 million in Defense Production Act funding to move the Constitution pipeline forward, citing national security needs and the region's fragile electric grid.
"We have submarine manufacturing in Groughton, Connecticut. We have a number of military bases throughout New England, and we have an electric grid that's on the ragged edge of surviving at peak demand times, particularly in the winter, but also in the summertime," Wright said.
Funding to Cover Environmental and Permitting Work
The funding will enable the environmental work and permitting work ahead of groundbreaking on the pipeline. Wright emphasized that the Defense Production Act was necessary because of prior Democratic opposition.
"This pipeline was attempted to be built a dozen years ago, and Democrats blocked it in their energy subtraction policies," Wright stated. "And what is it led to? Higher prices, greater electric grid instability."
President Trump's Energy Addition Agenda
Wright framed the announcement as part of President Trump's broader energy strategy. "This is President Trump coming in with energy addition. The answer to high prices is more supply to push prices down," he said.
He added that the same principle applies to grid reliability: "The answer to get to the ragged edge of blackouts is more electric generation, more energy for home heating as well."
