Policy Options for Reducing Natural Gas Leaks in Massachusetts
Date
2014-04-25
Author
Advisor
Chameides, Dean William
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Abstract
Massachusetts’ natural gas distribution systems – pipes delivering gas for fuel into
homes and businesses – are leaking large quantities of gas due to aging and crumbling
infrastructure – primarily pipes made of the outdated materials cast iron and unprotected
steel. This is problematic in several ways. First, public safety is at risk from explosions
and fires from the leaked gas; second, uncombusted methane in natural gas is a more
potent global warming gas than carbon dioxide – contributing to climate change; and
third, ratepayers bear the cost of the lost gas, as well as the costs of publicly-
and privately-owned trees and shrubs that are harmed by soil health damage near the
leaks.
This master’s project explores actions being taken or considered in Massachusetts
and in states with similar gas infrastructure to reduce natural gas leaks, and includes
recommendations to achieve further reductions. A comparative case study approach
was used to examine Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and federal policy activity.
Methods for the case studies included examination of publicly-available materials
as well as interviews with individuals from different areas of expertise or leadership
with respect to gas distribution systems.
Findings indicate that there is no single, simple, or inexpensive solution to eliminating
gas leaks from old, leak-prone infrastructure, but that a combination of approaches
from the multiple states studied may lead to reductions in gas loss if implemented
in Massachusetts. Recommendations include: adoption of consistent measurement and
reporting criteria for lost gas from all utilities as modeled by Pennsylvania’s 2013
regulations revisions; creation or expansion of incentives for utilities to reduce
leakage such as New York’s innovative benchmark and profit incentive for utilities
alongside the federally proposed state revolving loan fund model for capital investments
in system upgrade costs; and incorporation of the value of avoided environmental damage
into all cost benefit analyses for aging pipeline repair and replacement. Finally,
caution is needed in any new regulation or practice adopted to be assured that repair
and replacement investments are served, and funding not redirected for additional
natural gas capacity, keeping in mind that overreliance on any single fuel could prove
a foolish gamble.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8584Citation
Smith, Becky (2014). Policy Options for Reducing Natural Gas Leaks in Massachusetts. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8584.Collections
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