Williams says it welcomes Trump's support for Constitution gas pipeline

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - Williams Cos WMB.N said on Friday it appreciated U.S. President Donald Trump's support for its cancelled Constitution natural gas pipeline project through New York, and that it was interested in dusting off the project under the right circumstances.

Trump had said Thursday he will meet New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday morning for talks that may include potentially reviving the project, which Williams canceled in 2020 following opposition from politicians and environmentalists in New York.

Trump supports a wide expansion of energy production and infrastructure to achieve what he calls energy dominance.

"Williams appreciates President Trump's commitment to addressing the Northeast's natural gas supply constraints, which have led to some of the highest consumer energy prices in the country and the continued use of excessive amounts of higher-emitting fuel oil," Williams said in an email to Reuters.

"We are interested in building the Constitution pipeline, provided there is sufficient customer demand and support from Northeast governors, including Governor Hochul, to mitigate the risk of costly permitting delays, court battles, and injunctions during construction."

Williams said it was also hopeful for permitting reform in Congress to make it easier to advance projects.