Attack on Qatar natural gas facility could have effects on Mass. energy

An electric generating facility in Wakefield, Massachusetts, is powered by natural gas, as New England gets about half of its electricity from natural gas. Much of that flows into the region from pipelines.But some arrive on tankers as liquified natural gas or LNG, especially during the winter.It’s those LNG prices that are spiking after a natural gas facility in Qatar was attacked and shut down.For now, the price spikes are mainly hitting Europe and Asia.However, the head of Wakefield’s municipal power company said they could eventually hit the United States as well.”The benefit we have, as I said, as we move out of the winter heating season, we have a little bit of time to plan ahead and adjust,” said Pete Dion, head of Wakefield Municipal Gas & Lighting. “So I do feel better that we have a little bit of time to get ready for what could be happening in the fall.” Until then, Dion said he expects the impact on consumers’ gas and electric bills to be minimal.On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. government will provide insurance for ships traveling through the Persian Gulf. If necessary, Trump said the U.S. Navy will begin escorting tankers.