In 2017, the National Fuel Gas Company proposed the Northern Access Pipeline, a project to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale to Western New York, Canada, and the Midwest. This ambitious $500 million investment promised affordable energy and a vital economic boost to the Southern Tier and Western New York. At its peak, the pipeline would have supported nearly 1,700 union jobs and generated significant local tax revenue.

But Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration, following the precedent set by former Governor Cuomo, blocked the project at every turn. Using an overly broad interpretation of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, state officials imposed regulatory hurdles that drove up costs and delayed the project until it was ultimately abandoned. I led a letter, signed by members of Congress from New York and Pennsylvania, to Governor Hochul urging her to reconsider the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) decision to stand in the way of this project, which has been ignored.

The story of the Northern Access Pipeline is part of a larger tragedy for the Southern Tier–a region that sits atop the vast Marcellus Shale but has been prevented from tapping into this resource. While Pennsylvania has embraced energy development and transformed its rural economies, creating jobs and opportunities for working families, New York’s Democrat-led state government has shut the door on this desperately needed economic opportunity for our struggling region. Pennsylvania, and many other parts of the US have been safely extracting natural gas for years, but in 2014, a politicized health department and a governor who was desperate to appease the radicals on his left, issued a bogus, pre-determined study to give them cover for a ban. It’s been more than a decade since that fateful decision and it’s long overdue for New York’s leaders to follow the science.

The Marcellus Shale represents one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. We’ve had to stand by and watch while our neighbors in Pennsylvania harnessed this resource to revitalize entire communities, leading to new businesses and growing populations. The difference between the border counties of New York and Pennsylvania have often been likened to East and West Berlin.

As the first Congressman in modern history to represent the Southern Tier on the influential House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I am determined to change that. It’s heartbreaking to drive through this area of New York’s 23rd district and feel the impact of the jobs, businesses, and young people leaving. They’ve been driven away by these out-of-touch policies, but politicians in Albany will continue to turn a blind eye to the struggles of the Southern Tier. Not anymore. I ran for Congress to give a voice to this region, and they will have a loud advocate on a committee that has the opportunity to put us back on the right track. Albany will hear us, Congress will hear us, and President Trump will hear us.

In November, the American people voted to usher in a new Golden Age of America. Under President Trump and a Republican Congress, we will restore American energy independence. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will be leading the charge in Congress, with our first task to remove bureaucratic obstacles and advance responsible energy exploration. A key aspect of this will be working to prevent states like New York from weaponizing federal regulations to block energy projects, like the Northern Access Pipeline, that benefit the entire nation.

The Southern Tier is not just a region with untapped energy reserves — it’s a region with untapped potential. It’s time to change that because when the Southern Tier succeeds, America succeeds. I’m proud to stand at the forefront of this fight to deliver real results for the people of Western New York and the Southern Tier.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy represents Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties in the U.S. House of Representatives.