New Jerseyites – by a margin of more than two-to-one – favorexpanding an existing natural gas pipeline to serve residents,according to a new public opinion poll that has been dropped intothe controversy over Williams-Transco’s proposed MarketLinkproject.

The survey, commissioned by Williams, was conducted by RaritanAssociates and directed by Dr. Steven Salmore, professor emeritusat Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics. “Vocalopponents of the pipeline do not speak for most residents,”Salmore concluded. The survey found 52% of polled residents ofnorthern and central New Jersey favored the pipeline expansion tohelp improve air quality and meet energy needs compared to 21%opposed.

Williams survey report came after signs of opposition surfaced fromthe New Jersey governor’s office and congressional representativesfrom the state. (See Daily GPI, Aug. 5)

Transco has received a favorable draft environmental impactstatement from FERC and has bought $119 million worth of pipe andcompressor facilities for the MarketLink expansion. The projectinvolves about 150 miles of 42- and 36-inch looping, plusadditional compression on Transco’s mainline from the Leidy Hub inPennsylvania through New Jersey. MarketLink is designed to pick upadditional supplies coming from western Canada through Chicago andthe proposed Independence Pipeline.

Air quality was the main reason given to pollsters for citizens’support of the project. Williams said that currently just 3% of NewJersey’s electricity comes from natural gas-fired power plants,while 45% is derived from coal. New Jersey currently has 8,500 MWof new natural gas-fired generating capacity in the permittingprocess.

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