Trump administration invokes Defense Production Act for New York pipeline funding

On October 19, 2026, the Department of Energy announced up to $42 million in Defense Production Act funding to support permitting and pre-construction work on the Constitution Pipeline. The 125-mile project, designed to move Pennsylvania natural gas to New York, was abandoned in 2020 after New York denied water-quality permits. Energy Secretary Chris Wright argued the project will expand supply and lower costs, while an adviser to New York Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the move as a political ploy.

Federal DPA funding for Constitution Pipeline

• ▪The Department of Energy announced on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration will provide up to $42 million under Title III of the Defense Production Act to support pre-construction, environmental, and permitting activities for the Constitution Pipeline
• ▪Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that the Trump administration hopes construction on the Constitution Pipeline begins next spring to enter service by the winter of 2028
• ▪President Donald Trump issued a presidential determination in April 2026 invoking the Defense Production Act to support domestic natural gas infrastructure amid permitting delays and pipeline bottlenecks

New York Governor's office criticism

• ▪Ken Lovett, senior communications adviser on energy and environment for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, criticized the Department of Energy's $42 million Constitution Pipeline funding announcement on October 19, 2026, calling it a political ploy
• ▪Ken Lovett stated on October 19, 2026, that President Donald Trump's policies have driven up home energy costs while Governor Kathy Hochul remains focused on an all-of-the-above energy strategy

Constitution Pipeline specs and project history

• ▪Constitution Pipeline Co. asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December 2025 to reissue the federal certificate it had received in 2014 following renewed interest from infrastructure company Williams Companies
• ▪The proposed 125-mile Constitution Pipeline would transport up to 650,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day from northeastern Pennsylvania into New York to connect with interstate pipeline systems
• ▪The Constitution Pipeline received federal approval in 2014, but New York regulators denied a required water-quality certification in 2016, leading developers to abandon the project in 2020

Northeast regional energy market context

• ▪Pipeline capacity constraints in the Northeast contributed to petroleum briefly surpassing natural gas as New England's leading source of electricity generation during Winter Storm Fern in January 2026
• ▪Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated on October 19, 2026, that expanding natural gas supply through the Constitution Pipeline is intended to lower regional energy costs and prevent electricity blackouts
• ▪The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that heating oil prices will average 34% higher in winter 2026 than the prior winter, increasing household heating expenses by about 21%