The Burning Question
Dangerous Gases or Safe Homes?
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Massachusetts gas utilities are in a fight for their lives.
People are beginning to understand that the gas we use to fuel our homes is not "natural," not safe, and a major driver of climate change.
Scientists the world over are calling on countries to drastically reduce the use of methane, the main ingredient in "natural" gas.
But rather than embrace a shift to renewable energy, gas companies and their lobbyists have launched a campaign of disinformation and half truths.
If the gas industry gets its way, customer fees will rise; utilities will pump new and dangerous gases like hydrogen into our homes; our climate problems will intensify; and customers will be saddled with the cost of replacing aging gas pipes -- at a projected cost of $40 billion.
...will our reps be our climate heroes?
Will the State Legislature stand up to the gas utilities?
Massachusetts gas utility companies - National Grid, Eversource, Berkshire Gas, Liberty, and Unitil - have submitted their climate plans to the Department of Public Utilities. The gas companies plan to keep raising customer rates to pay for new dangerous and polluting gases, all while claiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Our Legislative Platform would stop these dangerous plans!
Our gas companies plan to:
Keep us hooked on gas instead of helping us move to clean, secure, renewable heat.
The gas companies published plans to keep themselves in business - not serious or honest climate solutions.
Charge ratepayers to develop hydrogen and biogases and pump them into homes and buildings.
These false solutions are explosive, expensive, unhealthy and still cause climate change!
Bill ratepayers for the cost of replacing the entire gas pipeline system so it can carry hydrogen and other explosive gases, rather than fixing the dangerous leaks now.
This pipe replacement program will cost ratepayers up to $40 billion!
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The Department of Public Utilities has been rushing to approve these expensive and dangerous gas company plans. The Senate just passed a very good climate bill that unfortunately does not guarantee a stop to the gas companies' plans. The Massachusetts House leadership must now create the specific policies needed to move us off dangerous gases and toward all electric, safe, affordable homes.
The future of safe energy for our buildings must include:
Triage and Transition: repair only the dangerous leaks and transition off piped gases;
Forbid the addition of dangerous and expensive hydrogen and biogases added to the gas pipeline system;
Invest in energy efficiency retrofits, and all-electric appliances, such as heat pumps.
Put ratepayers' fees and public funds into a real transition that will cut methane emissions and match the scale of the climate crisis.
We call on you as a State Representative to be our "Super Hero" -- please ask the House Leadership to create a climate bill that will derail the gas companies' plans and lead us to the safe, healthy energy future our children need!
The Burning Question Campaign is:
Mothers Out Front * 350 Mass * Mass Sierra Club * Mass Interfaith Power and Light * Climate XChange * Mass Climate Action Network * Clean Water Action * Boston Green Project * Boston Climate Action Network * Berkshire Environmental Action Team * Community Action Works Campaigns * GreenRoots * Climate Action Now * Franklin CPR * Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Contact The Burning Question campaign team: BurningQuestionMA@gmail.com
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