The natural gas pipeline that runs a street down from Wazer’s family home in Mansfield is part of a proposed 1,131-mile expansion of the Algonquin Gas Transmission line. The proposal, known as Project Maple, would raise the natural gas-carrying capacity of the pipeline, which bisects Connecticut and extends into New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Enbridge, the Canadian-based energy company behind the project, said in documents that the expansion will increase the reliability of the Northeast’s power grid, stabilize gas prices, and support “New England’s continued journey to Net Zero.” According to documents from Enbridge, the company anticipates that Project Maple, which could process an extra 249 to 499 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in some locations, could go online “as early as November 2029.” Currently, Connecticut consumes more natural gas than any other energy source. In 2023 natural gas-fired power plants accounted for 60% of all electricity generated in the state, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
A proposal for a massive expansion to a gas pipeline that goes through CT is drawing opposition