Northeast Democrats may help Trump revive pipeline they once fought to kill

• Northeast Democrats once opposed the Constitution Pipeline, but now these states may work with President Trump to revive the project due to rising energy costs. Some governors in the region are engaging in talks with the White House about this long-stalled natural gas development.
• Trump claims completing the pipeline could lower energy costs in the Northeast by as much as 70%, as regional power bills have climbed 40% above the national average.
• Environmental groups and residents near the project’s planned route are still opposed, citing concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and landowner rights.

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Northeast Democrats once worked to block the construction of a 125-mile natural gas pipeline through their region. Now, facing rising energy costs, some of these largely left-leaning states may work with President Donald Trump to revive the project.

What is the history behind this pipeline project?

The Constitution Pipeline — designed to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region to population centers across the Northeast — was first introduced in 2013. Though it received federal approval, the project was halted in 2016 after New York denied a critical water quality permit.

Following years of legal challenges that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, the companies behind the pipeline officially abandoned the project in 2020.

Why might Northeast Democrats support the pipeline’s revival?

However, with electricity prices in the Northeast rising to roughly 40% above the national average, some governors in the region are signaling an openness to revisiting the pipeline and have engaged in discussions with the Trump administration on the matter.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently met with Trump at the White House, while Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont held talks with senior federal officials about boosting gas supplies in his state. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, meanwhile, has resisted calls to impose new restrictions on gas infrastructure.

Trump has argued that completing the pipeline could lower energy costs by as much as 70% in the Northeast.

What happens next?

The Constitution Pipeline continues to face opposition from environmental groups and local residents near the planned development. Organizations like Food & Water Watch warn that new fossil fuel infrastructure would commit the region to decades of greenhouse gas emissions, threatening climate goals. Additionally, some landowners along the proposed pipeline route are against the project, vowing not to sell their property regardless of compensation.