Groups against new gas pipelines protest in Albany
Albany -- Environmental groups seeking to eliminate the use of fossil fuels like natural gas to heat homes assembled outside in Albany on Monday to call on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to block the expansion of the Williams Cos. gas pipeline into New York City, as well as a new National Grid pipeline bringing gas into Rensselaer County.
Their choice of gathering outside of the Albany Capital Center was not by accident. Inside, National Grid was hosting a conference dedicated to its "80-by-50" program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
While that is a noble cause, many environmental groups are upset that National Grid is using the expansion of its natural gas transmission network to try and achieve those goals.
Lee Ziesche, a community organizer for the Sane Energy Project, one of several environmental groups that joined the rally, said that the state was at a "crossroads" in its energy policy regarding fossil fuels. Sane Energy Project is part of a broader coalition called Stop the Williams Pipeline.
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