Under Massachusetts’s current system, gas utilities are incentivized to build new pipeline infrastructure even if it is impractical. For example, if a street only has one person who uses natural gas and the pipeline on that street is leaking, rather than fix the leaks, they will build an entirely new pipeline. As more and more people stop using natural gas to heat their homes, this forces gas utilities to raise prices higher and higher for those who remain, causing more people to stop using natural gas, causing the people who remain to see higher prices, trapping those who can least afford these higher costs as well as hurting the environment.
The Act Relative to A Tactical Transition to Affordable, Clean Thermal Energy aims to address this by requiring gas utilities to invest in network geothermal instead of replacing old gas pipes. That way, gas utilities and their workers will still be providing heat to their customers, but now without contributing to climate change and while keeping prices relatively affordable.
Come to the statehouse at 1:00 pm, June 6, for a briefing on this bill in Room 222 to show your support!
For a more detailed breakdown of what the bill does, check out this factsheet.