More pipelines are not needed

The Northeast Gas Association has publicly stated that more pipeline and gas infrastructure is needed in New England. They are actively campaigning to build additional infrastructure (pipelines), and pass the cost on to taxpayers.

They are certainly welcome to their opinion. And, in these days of “alternative facts,” it is helpful to keep a few real facts in mind:

• Utility Companies in New England are private, for-profit, companies. They are called “public utilities,” but, as private corporations, they also serve their stockholders. This creates an inherent conflict of interest: “While Eversource Energy consumers were hit with a 29 percent rate hike, the company’s CEO saw a significant bump in his pay. Customers have seen an increase in electric rates this winter, and say it’s been a tough year to pay those bills. Eversource Energy CEO Thomas May was praised with a $1.3 million pay raise (now about $9 million a year),” from WCVB Boston website March 13, 2015.

• Despite state regulations to support renewable energy sources, our utility companies are using our rate money against the public interest by lobbying for caps on our access and availability to cleaner, healthier, more economic alternatives. We want safe, wellpaid jobs for our contractors and electricians, and affordable rates for energy, yet here is the utility company actively opposing these goals with our rate money.

It is not in the public interest to shut down renewable energy in order to justify further pipelines and expansion of natural gas. We don’t need additional pipelines, shouldn’t have to pay for it with rate hikes (like we do now), and do not want to have our alternate sources of energy blocked by the utility companies.

I encourage you to contact your state representatives and let them know how you feel about this. — Bruce Nayowith, M.D. Great Barrington, Massachusetts Physicians for Social Responsibility, 350MA.org