Essay by Eric Worrall
h/t Dr. Willie Soon; SURPRISE – Cold place which repeatedly rejects new gas pipeline proposals is running short of gas.
New England faces rolling BLACKOUTS this winter with bills set to soar amid fight for natural gas imports with Europe – despite US being one of world’s biggest producers
Severe cold spells in the Northeast could reduce the amount of gas available, as more of it is burned to heat homes
America is now competing with European countries for shipments of liquefied gas because of Russia’s decision to halt pipeline gas to the continent
New England does not import American LNG, because of the Jones Act, with the majority of the gas delivered coming from Trinidad and Tobago
ISO New England Inc have warned that an extreme cold snap could result in the need for rolling blackouts to keep supply and demand in balance
By EMMA JAMES FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 02:01 AEDT, 19 October 2022 UPDATED: 03:57 AEDT, 19 October 2022
Residents in New England cities are facing rolling blackouts this winter if temperatures drop for a prolonged cold snap because of lower fuel supplies.
The region relies on natural-gas imports to bridge the gaps during the winter but is now having to compete with European countries for shipments of liquefied gas.
Russia’s halt of most pipeline gas to the continent has ramped up the price and demand for natural gas across the globe.
Both Europe and the US are now scrambling to import more LNG, which could send gas prices skyrocketing next winter – despite America being one of the top importers in the world.
…
The gas shortage is plainly the result of New England political incompetence and green virtue signalling. New England politicians have repeatedly rejected pipeline proposals, enabled by green zealots who claim New England doesn’t need gas pipelines. Now New England could be about to pay a heavy price for this reckless political pantomime.
The article goes on to blame the Jones Act for limiting gas capacity. The Jones Act is a law which restricts cabotage, transport of goods between US ports, to US built and flagged vessels. But all those foreign ships are already busy steaming towards Europe, which is in an even more desperate situation than New England, so I doubt a repeal of the Jones Act at this late stage would make much difference.
I wish there was an easy solution. I’m sure there are plenty of sensible people in New England who opposed this madness, who are about to suffer alongside those who supported it. Even the people who supported it – I mean, saying “I told you so” might bring a moment’s satisfaction, but real people are about to suffer a terrible winter. All I can see in my mind are little kids shivering in the cold, kids who had no part in creating this nightmare, and old people suffering and in some cases dying, in bleak unheated homes, with empty refrigerators and a pile of unpaid heating bills.
The people I’m mad at are the politicians and greens, whose relentless propaganda convinced ordinary people that their reckless, incoherent green virtue signalling was an energy policy.
By next Spring, the survivors may be a little less willing to listen to greens. But what a horribly hard way to have to learn they misplaced their trust.
