By MICHAEL BASTASCH
New England’s lack of pipeline infrastructure means the region is now reliant on natural gas shipments from an unlikely source — Russia.
Boston will soon receive a shipment of natural gas from an export terminal operated by Novatek — a company sanctioned by the State Department in 2014. Russian oil and gas shipments, however, aren’t covered by U.S. sanctions.
A French-owned tanker is on its way to Boston to deliver a shipment of liquefied natural gas to heat homes in New England. At least some of that gas is from Russia’s Yamal LNG terminal.
When the tanker lands, it will be the first-ever shipment of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the U.S. The shipment was delayed days ago by bad weather, but is back en route, E&E News reports.
New England survived bitter Arctic cold this winter, but at a high price. Federal and state policies have forced coal and oil power plants to close down in recent years, meaning the region has become more reliant on natural gas.
