City officials say they’re backing the project because it would further Boston’s “commitment to climate action.” They see its potential to become a model for other micro-district heating systems, a success story that could be replicated elsewhere…

“Due to the hard work and unyielding efforts of groups such as the Home Energy Efficient Team (HEET), Mothers Out Front and the Gas Leaks Allies, Massachusetts legislators understand that the state’s aging natural gas pipelines are leaking methane, adding to the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions…”

“Perhaps this is the time for gas companies to explore a new business model, one with a promising future for both the companies and the planet. A business model where the companies deliver renewable heating and cooling to homes and businesses along every street, allowing customers a choice in our renewables from both wires and pipes.”

“The idea is that a gas utility takes out its leaky gas pipe and, instead of putting in new gas pipe, we put in a hot water loop,” Magavi said. “If we’re going to invest in infrastructure, let’s invest in infrastructure for the next century. Let’s not invest in infrastructure that was hot in 1850.”HEET commissioned a study to investigate if there were a way to make geothermal energy appealing to both utilities and environmentalists.

“We’re going to integrate ideas about job creation, fair wages, low-income access, and reducing public health gaps,” Magavi says.

“Gas companies reported 32,877 gas leaks across Massachusetts in 2018, according to a new report from the Department of Public Utilities, a consequence of an aging system that a leading advocate says remains inherently unsafe.‘It’s pretty much the same year after year,’ said Audrey Schulman, co-executive director of HEET, a Cambridge-based energy efficiency nonprofit that maps gas leaks across the state. ‘That’s a demonstration that we’ve got an aging infrastructure that is unsafe.'”‍