Press Release  Governor Healey Calls on Trump Administration to Expedite Review of Gas Pipeline Expansion

Boston — Governor Maura Healey today called on the Trump Administration to expedite federal review of the expansion of the Algonquin gas pipeline, known as the Reliable Affordable Resilient Enhancement (RARE) Project, that she has previously supported. The project is expected to provide gas supply to 600,000 gas customers and lower gas bills by $40 million each year.

“I’ve been clear that we need to bring more energy supply into Massachusetts with an all-of-the-above approach that includes solar, wind, storage, nuclear, geothermal, hydro and gas,” said Governor Healey. “This project will lower costs for 600,000 customers, and the development will be paid for by the developer, not ratepayers. Massachusetts is moving forward with its review, and I’m asking the federal government to do the same – move quickly and keep this project on track so customers can see the savings.”

In a letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Governor Healey urged the Trump Administration to move quickly on the federal reviews and permits required for RARE and to establish clear schedules, coordinate across federal agencies and dedicate the resources necessary to keep the project on track. She also emphasized that an expedited timeline should not come at the expense of environmental review or meaningful engagement with affected communities. As an expansion, most of the construction work will involve upgrading infrastructure already in place.  

In January, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) approved two 10-year agreements between Eversource gas utilities and Algonquin to deliver new gas supplies to customers. 

The additional gas supply is expected to reduce reliance on higher-cost imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Everett LNG Terminal, resulting in $40 million in direct savings per year. The project is currently undergoing federal environmental review through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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