Gov. Cuomo has stuck to his ban on fracking for the past 2 1/2 years, costing the state countless jobs and revenue. But now New York has a new opportunity to take advantage of the natural-gas boom. What a tragedy if he were to stand in the way of this, too — and to please the same folks who oppose fracking.
Here’s the deal: Liberty Natural Gas wants to build a facility to import liquefied natural gas in the waters 20 miles off Jones Beach. The plan for the site, called Port Ambrose, is now before federal regulators.
The additional gas supply from Ambrose would likely lead to lower winter-heating costs in the New York market. Liberty estimates that the shipments could serve a million homes in the area. On top of that, construction would create hundreds of jobs.
Environmentalists oppose the project because — get this! — they fear it might make fracking an easier sell in the state.
If only that were the case. Liberty promises that the Port Ambrose facility will be import-only. But so what if it were to export natural gas from fracking? That’s also a victory for New York — and America.
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has warned his kingdom’s oil ministry that the US will soon be a major rival in international energy production, thanks to shale-derived natural gas. “We see that rising North American shale-gas production is an inevitable threat” to OPEC, he said.
That may be bad news for the Saudis, but it’s great news for America: By some projections, natural-gas production will help the US to be energy self-sufficient by 2030 — with sales revenue going to Americans instead of Arab nations.
The big question is: Will New Yorkers, particularly those in the economically beleaguered Upstate region, see any of the new revenue?
If Cuomo continues to side with the enviros over everyone else, forget about it.