Top energy regulator warns fossil fuel terminal shutdown could jeopardize heat for millions of Americans

New England could face a high risk of gas supply shortfalls if a major natural gas terminal is closed, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission warned this week.

"Although there was evidence that the retirement of Everett would be ‘manageable’ for the electric system, at least in the near-term, given anticipated new resource deployments and transmission development, minimal load growth, limited resource retirements, and increased reliance on non-natural gas generators, the evidence indicates that, should those expectations not materialize as anticipated, ensuring reliability and affordability could become challenging in the face of a significant winter event," FERC and NERC said. Thomas Catenacci is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

"As discussions regarding the future of Everett continue, we encourage all parties to keep reliability and affordability at the center of those negotiations," they continued. "With respect to the natural gas system, we recognize that the reliability needs turn, at least for the foreseeable future, largely on facilities subject to the New England states’ jurisdiction."