Washington (April 20, 2016) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement after Kinder Morgan, Inc. announced it has suspended further work and expenditures on its Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline project due to insufficient contractual commitments in the New England market.

“I have opposed Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline through Massachusetts and New England because of concerns that it could have led to the export of American natural gas to foreign countries, the impact it would have had on local communities in Massachusetts, and its potential to worsen climate change. Using New England as a throughway to export U.S. gas to overseas markets might be good for the bottom lines of pipeline companies but it could raise prices and be a disaster for consumers and businesses in our region.

“We need to build on the work that we have done in New England to move to a clean energy economy. And we should create jobs in New England by working smarter not harder when it comes to using natural gas through increasing efficiency and repairing and replacing our aging and leaking natural gas distribution pipeline infrastructure. Repairing these aging, leaking natural gas pipelines is a win for safety, a win for job creation, a win for consumers who have to pay for this lost gas, and a win for the climate. 

“I will continue to vigorously oppose any pipeline proposals that would serve to export natural gas out of our region to overseas nations at the expense of Massachusetts consumers.”

Recently, the U.S. Senate passed the “Securing America’s Future Energy: Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (SAFE PIPES) Act,” which included two amendmentsfrom Sen. Markey that would strengthen promote the repair and replacement of aging and leaking natural gas pipelines across the country.