The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has denied a handful of groups intervener status for an upcoming hearing regarding a contract agreement between Berkshire Gas and Kinder Morgan, the company planning a $5 billion pipeline through the Northeast. Berkshire Gas objected to the groups’ petitions to intervene.A DPU hearing officer ruled late last week that Northeast Energy Solutions, NEES, along with the Pipeline Awareness Network for the Northeast or PLAN and state representative Stephen Kulik would not be substantially or specifically affected by the upcoming hearing. Katy Eiseman is president of PLAN, which intends to appeal the ruling.
“We plan to participate in the hearing in Greenfield,” Eiseman said. “Our lawyer went to the previous hearings in Boston. We are definitely staying engaged in the process.”
The DPU officer states the Massachusetts Attorney General, Department of Energy Resources and the Conservation Law Foundation, who were granted intervener status, can adequately represent the groups and Massachusetts ratepayers.
NEES is also appealing the DPU ruling.
The hearing is 7 p.m. June 11th at Greenfield Middle School.
