Skip to Content
Author: The BCW

Leave a Comment

Con Edison Announces Agreement to Send More Gas to Westchester

Con Edison announced it has reached an agreement with the owners of an existing natural gas pipeline, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, which would send more gas to Westchester County. If approvals of the new deal go according to plan, the existing gas moratorium could end in November 2023, according to Con Edison.

Con Edison stopped accepting new natural gas applications in southern Westchester as of March 16, citing the lack of sufficient natural gas capacity. The new agreement does not halt the existing moratorium.

Under the new agreement, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, which has been sending natural gas to Con Edison’s distribution system in Westchester, would increase its capacity by upgrading compression facilities on its system outside of New York state, reported The Journal News.

In March, The Business Council of Westchester formed the BCW Gas Moratorium Task Force, a cross-section of developers, business leaders of small, mid-sized and large companies, as well as planners and affordable housing advocates to propose solutions.

BCW Executive Vice President John Ravitz said Con Edison’s announcement on Wednesday “offered a ray of hope for our increasingly energy-starved region,” however there is still a long way to go before the agreement goes into effect in late 2023.

“That’s four and a half years, if the approval goes smoothly, and at least four and a half years more of the moratorium on new gas hookups in most of Westchester,” he said. “We applaud Con Edison for this initiative and other actions the company is exploring to alleviate the crisis.  However, the underlying energy shortage remains a serious issue that is already taking a toll and will continue to loom over the region and threaten our economic viability.”

New York State and others, meanwhile, are calling for a shift to renewable energy sources, including Con Edison’s $223 million “Smart Solutions” initiative that was announced following the state regulatory agency’s direction.

“While this is a laudable goal, the realities are that implementation of virtually any of the technologies now being discussed are not going to be sufficient to meet the region’s energy demand,” Ravitz said.

On May 10th the BCW has scheduled a major conference – Running on Empty? Transitioning to a New Energy Landscape  bringing together private, government and public sector leaders in the forefront of the energy spectrum. The session will delve into the growing natural gas shortage and other issues tied to providing energy now and into the future. The forum will be from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains.

Similar News Items

BCW Member WMCHealth hosted its Annual Legislative Breakfast on Tuesday featuring twenty government officials from federal, state, county and local levels. The focus was on ensuring that access to care continues to be at the forefront of the national, state and regional health care conversation, while noting that WMCHealth plays a vital role as a […]

Read Article

The City of Yonkers is ready for its close-up. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and Emmy Award-Winning Producer / Great Point Studios Founder, Robert Halmi were on hand on July 1 at Times Square for the debut of a large digital billboard positioning Yonkers as “Hollywood on Hudson,” a brand which is copyrighted. With a surge […]

Read Article

The Westchester Innovation Network (WIN), an initiative of the Business Council of Westchester (BCW), is proud to announce the successful outcome of a research project between CatchU® and BCW Member Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains. JET Worldwide Enterprises Inc. (JET), a startup company developing CatchU received the top $10,000 grant from the BCW in […]

Read Article

Become A Member

Join the county’s largest and most influential business organization today.

JOIN NOW!
The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses market, learn, advocate, and grow. Over 80 events and programs are offered every year, giving our members ample opportunity to connect and meet with businesses representatives in the Westchester community and beyond.
Back to top