Trump Administration Taps Wartime Powers to Revive Constitution Pipeline With $42 Million
The Trump administration is invoking the Defense Production Act to revive the Constitution Pipeline, a natural gas project that New York regulators helped derail nearly a decade ago.
The Department of Energy announced that it will use up to $42 million in Defense Production Act Title III funding to advance the proposed 125-mile pipeline, which would carry natural gas from Pennsylvania to New York. The Defense Production Act is a Cold War-era law that gives the president authority to strengthen industries deemed essential to national defense.
What the Money Pays For
According to the Energy Department, the money will support pre-construction and permitting work, including environmental reviews, engineering and site preparation, and other costs tied to securing regulatory approvals. After permits are completed, the funding could also support "complementary natural gas infrastructure," the department said.
The department said the funding draws on $1 billion that Congress appropriated for energy projects deemed critical to national security. A presidential determination identifies natural gas pipelines, processing and storage as essential to national defense, according to the department.
The Washington Examiner reported that the administration has used the law several times in recent weeks to speed up energy projects, including pipelines, refineries and transmission infrastructure in Alaska.
A Project New York Blocked
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission first approved the pipeline in 2014. In 2016, New York regulators under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied a water-quality certification the project needed, citing environmental concerns, and the developer abandoned the project in 2020, the Daily Caller reported.
Williams Companies, the developer, is now seeking renewed federal approval and projects the pipeline could begin operating in late 2028, according to the Daily Caller. The company estimates it could carry enough gas to meet the daily needs of about three million Northeast homes.
New York's Department of Environmental Conservation acknowledged in November 2025 that the developer had withdrawn its renewed water-quality application, and the state has disputed claims that it waived its authority to review the project, the Daily Caller reported. Environmental groups have raised concerns about the pipeline's effects on wetlands, waterways and forests.
What the Administration Says
"Despite America having an abundant supply of low-cost natural gas, tens of millions of Americans have limited access to this reliable energy source due to a lack of pipeline infrastructure," Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. He said President Trump "promised to build the Constitution Pipeline" and that it would "reduce the risk of blackouts during periods of peak electricity demand."
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who chairs the National Energy Dominance Council, said families in New York and other blue states "have paid the price for anti-energy policies," and that the investment would save Northeast families "billions of dollars."
The announcement comes as New England households face a costly winter, with heating oil bills projected to rise 21 percent, the Daily Caller reported.
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, "Energy Department Advances Constitution Pipeline Project with $42 Million in Defense Production Act Funding" (Oct. 19, 2026): https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-advances-constitution-pipeline-project-42-million-defense-production-act ; Daily Caller (Oct. 20, 2026): https://dailycaller.com/2026/10/20/constitution-pipeline-trump-administration-new-york-natural-gas-funding-department-energy ; Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-on-energy/4771156/daily-on-energy-the-constitution-pipeline-gets-a-national-security-boost/
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