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Dr. Michael T. Goldstein, M.D., J.D., the Republican-endorsed candidate for Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District, has sent a joint letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright calling for federal action to address the energy infrastructure crisis facing Connecticut and the broader New England region.
The letter welcomes the groundbreaking of the Northeast Supply Enhancement, or NESE, pipeline, which will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to New York City and Long Island. The project is expected to add 400,000 dekatherms of daily capacity and support energy reliability for the equivalent of approximately 2.3 million homes. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation issued the project’s Clean Water Act §401 certification and other permits on November 7, 2025.
Goldstein said New York’s approval of NESE exposes a fundamental regional double standard: Albany has accepted the need for additional natural-gas infrastructure when the gas serves New York consumers, while continuing to obstruct infrastructure that would deliver the same benefits to Connecticut and the rest of New England.
“New York has decided that additional natural gas is appropriate when it heats Long Island homes, powers New York businesses, and supports New York’s economy,” Goldstein said. “But when Connecticut and New England seek access to the same abundant American energy, Albany suddenly becomes the regional gatekeeper. Connecticut is not asking for special treatment. We are asking for equal treatment.”
The EPA’s own announcement acknowledged that Constitution Pipeline should be the next priority so New England residents can gain access to abundant domestic energy during periods of extreme winter demand. The agency stated that the project has been blocked in Albany, denying Americans access to jobs, resources, and lower energy costs.
“Administrator Zeldin and Secretary Wright have correctly identified the next project,” Goldstein said. “The question now is whether the federal government has sufficient authority to deliver it—or whether Congress must finally act.”
Energy Policy Is Economic Policy
Goldstein emphasized that Connecticut’s energy crisis extends far beyond household utility bills. “This is not only an affordability issue,” Goldstein said. “It is an economic development issue, a workforce issue, a competitiveness issue, and increasingly a national-security issue.”
Connecticut cannot compete effectively for advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, data centers, artificial-intelligence infrastructure, research facilities, defense production, or other energy-intensive industries while businesses face high electricity costs, constrained fuel supplies, and uncertainty about future grid reliability.
“Every company that chooses another state because Connecticut cannot offer sufficient, affordable, and reliable power represents jobs lost, investment lost, tax revenue lost, and opportunities lost,” Goldstein said. “Energy is the foundation of economic growth. Without more energy, Connecticut cannot compete.”
The NESE project itself illustrates the relationship between infrastructure and economic growth. Federal officials said the project could lower electricity bills by an estimated $6 billion over fifteen years and stimulate as much as $1.8 billion in economic development.
“The same principles that justify bringing more natural gas to New York apply equally to Connecticut,” Goldstein said. “The entire Northeast needs additional energy supply—not merely a redistribution of existing scarcity.”
A Physician’s and Attorney’s Perspective
Goldstein said his experience as both a surgeon and an attorney gives him a distinct perspective on the energy challenge.
“As a physician, I understand that reliable energy protects public health and saves lives,” Goldstein said. “Hospitals, operating rooms, emergency departments, nursing homes, pharmacies, laboratories, water-treatment systems, heating systems, and emergency communications all depend upon uninterrupted power.”
"As an attorney, I also understand the limits of administrative authority. EPA can streamline permitting, narrow unreasonable interpretations, enforce deadlines, and ensure that §401 reviews remain focused on legitimate water-quality concerns. The Department of Energy can identify critical energy corridors and quantify the economic, reliability, and national-security consequences of inadequate infrastructure. But neither agency can simply rewrite a statute enacted by Congress.”
Clean Water Act §401 gives states authority to grant, condition, deny, or waive water quality certification for certain federally licensed projects. New York used that authority to approve NESE, including approximately 17.4 miles of underwater pipeline within New York waters, after determining that the project could satisfy applicable state water quality standards and permit conditions.
Goldstein argues that the same statutory authority should not be selectively used to facilitate energy infrastructure serving New York while obstructing comparable infrastructure serving neighboring states.
“Environmental law must protect the environment, but it should not become a political weapon that permits one state to control the economic future of an entire region,” Goldstein said.
Cleaner-Burning Gas Can Advance Environmental Goals
Goldstein also rejected the false choice between environmental protection and responsible energy development.
“Natural gas is a reliable, lower-cost, cleaner-burning energy source,” Goldstein said. "Additional modern pipeline capacity can reduce dependence on higher-emitting backup fuels and decrease the need to move fuel by truck, rail, or ship during periods of peak winter demand.”
New York’s own description of NESE states that the project is intended to support reliability and help displace the use of oil.
“Blocking pipelines does not eliminate the demand for energy,” Goldstein said. “It often forces the region to use more expensive, less efficient, or higher-emitting alternatives. A serious environmental policy must measure actual results rather than rely on slogans.”
“We can protect clean water and expand access to cleaner-burning domestic natural gas. Those objectives are not contradictory.”
Calling for a Congressional Solution
Goldstein’s letter asks Zeldin and Wright to use every authority currently available to advance Constitution Pipeline and improve the federal permitting process. It also calls on them to publicly support congressional modernization of Clean Water Act §401.
Goldstein proposed that Congress consider legislation that would 1) Preserve meaningful state authority over legitimate water-quality concerns; 2) Require timely, specific, and scientifically supported certification decisions; 3) Prevent §401 from being used to decide unrelated political or ideological questions; 4) Establish an appropriate federal review or override for projects serving compelling interstate reliability, economic-development, or national-security interests; and 5) Prevent one state from unilaterally determining the energy supply and economic prospects of neighboring states.
“This would not eliminate environmental review,” Goldstein said. “It would restore balance, accountability, consistency, and federal responsibility for infrastructure that is inherently interstate.”
A Contrast with Congressman Jim Himes
Goldstein contrasted his call for action with the record of incumbent Congressman Jim Himes, who has represented Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District since 2009.
“For more than seventeen years, Connecticut residents have watched energy costs rise, infrastructure remain constrained, and our competitive position decline,” Goldstein said. “The green political agenda has too often restricted supply without first providing affordable and dependable replacements.”
“Connecticut does not have too much energy. We have too little supply, too little infrastructure, and too little urgency from our elected representatives.”
Goldstein said the federal government must recognize that energy powers not only homes and businesses, but also hospitals, defense contractors, communications systems, transportation networks, water systems, domestic manufacturing, and emerging technologies.
“We cannot speak seriously about rebuilding American manufacturing, competing with China, expanding artificial intelligence, strengthening defense production, or restoring Connecticut’s economy while leaving New England energy-starved,” Goldstein said.
“As a surgeon, I have made decisions based on evidence, judgment, and accountability. As an attorney, I understand that lasting change requires sound legislation grounded in the rule of law. As a candidate for Congress, I am prepared to provide federal solutions to this local and regional crisis.”
“New York is now receiving more gas. Connecticut deserves the same opportunity. It is time to approve Constitution Pipeline, modernize §401, and unlock the energy Connecticut and the entire Northeast need to grow.”
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