“Schulman and Magavi immediately recognized the need to persuade gas utility executives that repurposing their companies as purveyors of thermal comfort, rather than suppliers of a particular fuel, could be in their long-term interest. They succeeded with the state’s two largest gas distributors.”

“Peak solar production does not coincide with peak heating demand, and a team of researchers determined that meeting this demand with renewables alone will require massive deployment of renewables on top of existing fossil generation.”

“More efficient electric heating technologies will reduce the electrical load put on the grid and improve the ability for this heating demand to be met with non-combustible renewables,” said study co-author, Jonathan Buonocore.

“Last year, 11,624 new gas leaks across Massachusetts emitted nearly 7,000 metric tons of methane — equal to an estimated 600,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or $7 million in wasted dollars, according to HEET. The largest 7% of gas leaks emit half of all the gas leaking from pipes, and major gas utilities and climate advocates have collaborated to develop a method to find and fix these big leaks.”

“Historically, natural gas has been described as a clean, or cleaner, fossil fuel,” said Zeyneb Magavi, co-executive director of HEET, a nonprofit that promotes geothermal heat, and a co-author on the study. “Now that we know there are small quantities of VOCs present in the gas supply in the Greater Boston area, it is reasonable to conclude that our gas supply is not as clean as we thought it once was.”

“The study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, adds to a growing body of research that links the delivery and use of natural gas to detrimental consequences for public health and the climate.”