Broadwater Energy
Encyclopedia
Broadwater Energy is a Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal proposed to be built in Long Island Sound
between New York State and Connecticut
. The project has received vociferous objections from Connecticut officials and some New York state officials.
New York state officials had yet to decide whether to issue permits for the project as of March 2008, and Governor David A. Paterson said he might postpone a decision, originally scheduled to be made in April 2008 on whether to support the terminal. The terminal received federal approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 21, 2008, but energy analysts have said that state rather than regulators generally have the decisive role in deciding whether liquefied natural gas terminals may be built.
It is to be operated by Broadwater Energy L.L.C., a joint venture by TransCanada Corporation and Shell Oil for the transfer of liquefied natural gas
from ships to pipelines. The proposed floating unit would be about nine miles (14 km) north of Wading River, New York
and 10 miles (16.1 km) south of New Haven, Connecticut
-- the widest point in the Sound. After being unloaded, the liquefied gas would be warmed back into a gas and pumped through pipelines (with the specific pipeline on the bottom of the sound called the "Iroquois Gas Transmission." The company calls the term a "Floating Storage Regasification Unit
," or FSRU. It is expected 1 Gcuft of natural gas per day into the pipeline.
The terminal would be about 1200 feet (365.8 m) long and 180 feet (54.9 m) wide and would rise about 75 to 80 feet (24.4 m) above the water. It would have the capability to stockpile eight billion cubic feet of gas. The project also involves the laying of a 22 miles (35.4 km) long pipeline from the platform to the Iroquois line (off the shore the village of Nissequogue, New York
).
Broadwater's website notes advantages to consumers of cutting the cost of natural gas, cleaner fuel than oil, and the lack requirements to build onshore.
The State of New York which has territorial jurisdiction over the sound will have ultimate decisions on whether it will permit the project. Broadwater says on its website the project if built on plan between 2009 and 2010 would cost $20 million directly.
, and Representative Tim Bishop
. Clinton said:
Among the controversiesis concern that legislation may pass that would permit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
to override local opposition.
New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, who resigned from office in March 2008 and was replaced by David Paterson, took no position on the project but raised eyebrows in November 2007 when he hired Bruce Gyory, a Broadwater lobbyist, to advise the governor.
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
between New York State and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The project has received vociferous objections from Connecticut officials and some New York state officials.
New York state officials had yet to decide whether to issue permits for the project as of March 2008, and Governor David A. Paterson said he might postpone a decision, originally scheduled to be made in April 2008 on whether to support the terminal. The terminal received federal approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on March 21, 2008, but energy analysts have said that state rather than regulators generally have the decisive role in deciding whether liquefied natural gas terminals may be built.
It is to be operated by Broadwater Energy L.L.C., a joint venture by TransCanada Corporation and Shell Oil for the transfer of liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas or LNG is natural gas that has been converted temporarily to liquid form for ease of storage or transport....
from ships to pipelines. The proposed floating unit would be about nine miles (14 km) north of Wading River, New York
Wading River, New York
Wading River is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, USA, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 7,719....
and 10 miles (16.1 km) south of New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
-- the widest point in the Sound. After being unloaded, the liquefied gas would be warmed back into a gas and pumped through pipelines (with the specific pipeline on the bottom of the sound called the "Iroquois Gas Transmission." The company calls the term a "Floating Storage Regasification Unit
Floating Production Storage and Offloading
A floating production, storage and offloading unit is a floating vessel used by the offshore industry for the processing of hydrocarbons and for storage of oil. A FPSO vessel is designed to receive hydrocarbons produced from nearby platforms or subsea template, process them, and store oil until it...
," or FSRU. It is expected 1 Gcuft of natural gas per day into the pipeline.
The terminal would be about 1200 feet (365.8 m) long and 180 feet (54.9 m) wide and would rise about 75 to 80 feet (24.4 m) above the water. It would have the capability to stockpile eight billion cubic feet of gas. The project also involves the laying of a 22 miles (35.4 km) long pipeline from the platform to the Iroquois line (off the shore the village of Nissequogue, New York
Nissequogue, New York
Nissequogue is a village in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 1,543.The Village of Nissequogue is in the Town of Smithtown...
).
Broadwater's website notes advantages to consumers of cutting the cost of natural gas, cleaner fuel than oil, and the lack requirements to build onshore.
The State of New York which has territorial jurisdiction over the sound will have ultimate decisions on whether it will permit the project. Broadwater says on its website the project if built on plan between 2009 and 2010 would cost $20 million directly.
Opposition
The project, which will be located off the coast of expensive residential property on eastern Long Island and eastern Connecticut, has stirred considerable local opposition including New York Senators, Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
, and Representative Tim Bishop
Tim Bishop
Timothy H. "Tim" Bishop is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton,...
. Clinton said:
- I, like many Long Islanders, remain concerned that the security risks and environmental threats posed by the project have not been properly addressed. I also share the view held by many Long Islanders that this project would have detrimental impacts on the quality of water and air surrounding the sound.
Among the controversiesis concern that legislation may pass that would permit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the United States federal agency with jurisdiction over interstate electricity sales, wholesale electric rates, hydroelectric licensing, natural gas pricing, and oil pipeline rates...
to override local opposition.
New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, who resigned from office in March 2008 and was replaced by David Paterson, took no position on the project but raised eyebrows in November 2007 when he hired Bruce Gyory, a Broadwater lobbyist, to advise the governor.
Decision
On April 10, 2008, Governor Paterson rejects the Broadwater plan, stating at a Press Conference at Sunken Meadow State Park that it "Is not what Long Island Sound needs." Broadwater however does have the right to appeal to the US Department of Commerce.Timeline
- January 2008 — Staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission concludes the project will have only limited environmental impact.
- January 10, 2008 — U.S. General Accounting Office released a report on the U.S. Coast Guard's ability to provide security for the terminals and involved ships.
- January 16, 2008 — Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell writes to New York Governor Spitzer that the plant would hurt the Sound.
- March 20, 2008 — Federal Energy Regulatory Commission votes 5-0 to approve the project.
- April 10, 2008 — New York Governor David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
officially rejects the Broadwater plan altogether.