close
close

For now, natural gas will remain » CBIA

Posted on by darion

The following text first appeared on the Connecticut Post’s opinion pages. It is republished here with permission.

Across Connecticut and the country, the shift toward sustainable energy is real and urgent.

We are witnessing a rapid expansion of solar, fuel cells, wind, hydro and many other sources of clean, renewable energy, while coal and oil-fired power plants are being retired or converted to cleaner fuels.

Every day there are new innovations in technologies such as batteries and energy sources such as hydrogen.

All of this is great news for our economy and even better news for the planet. For all our optimism and enthusiasm, we have to be realistic: many of these clean energy technologies are in their embryonic stages.

The offshore wind industry got off the ground in Massachusetts, with early investments by a few promising companies a few years ago. However, many projects have been stalled due to unfavorable economic conditions.

Siting large-scale solar projects has become increasingly difficult because of concerns about noise and deforestation. Hydropower has little foothold in Connecticut, accounting for just 1% of the state’s electricity generation.

A sharp increase in demand

Given the projected growth in electricity demand in the short and long term, it will be many years, perhaps even decades, before we are ready to completely reduce or shut down our entire current energy infrastructure, which relies primarily on natural gas.

Speaking at a recent CBIA conference on energy and the environment, Senator Norm Needleman, co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, spoke of a “three-legged stool of reliability, cost and climate change mitigation.”

“We have to strike a balance, we have to be thoughtful,” he said. “I’m not advocating phasing out fossil fuels tomorrow. But I hope that in the next 30, 40, 50 years we all agree that fossil fuels have to be phased out.”

Speaking at the same conference, Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association, explained that retired coal- and oil-fired generators have been replaced not with solar and wind power but with natural gas: At any given time, about half of the region’s power grid is running on the fuel.

Switching from burning coal and oil to burning natural gas has been the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas reductions in the Northeast, which is why Connecticut until recently viewed it as a necessary step toward achieving net-zero emissions.

For now, natural gas is here to stay. It is the responsibility of the utilities that distribute this fuel to ensure it is as safe, reliable and environmentally friendly as possible.

Investments

Now is the time for these companies to invest more in improving their systems, not less, given that Connecticut boasts some of the oldest infrastructure in the country, much of it more than 100 years old.

Natural gas distribution companies should be allowed and even encouraged to invest in aging infrastructure to provide customers with reliable, safe and increasingly sustainable service.

Many projects focus on replacing leak-prone cast iron and steel pipe networks with high-quality reinforced plastics. They also reduce environmentally problematic methane leaks associated with old, outdated pipeline networks.

To make the necessary investments, companies need the consent and cooperation of government regulators and policymakers.

It is worth noting that these projects have enjoyed broad support at the federal level since the Obama administration.

State regulators play a critical role in the success of these projects. By providing capital for investment, they enable gas distribution companies to maintain and improve infrastructure.

Connecticut’s natural gas distribution companies are regulated utilities that operate without competition. This means that the companies need the approval and cooperation of state regulators and policymakers to make the necessary investments.

Economic development

Unfortunately, in Connecticut, we too often see the opposite approach. Instead of following the model of neighboring states like New York and Massachusetts, which work with utilities to make the investments the system needs, Connecticut regulators have blocked funding.

As infrastructure ages and sustainability becomes increasingly important, regulators must ensure utilities have the capital they need to implement projects needed to provide safe and reliable energy.

These investments are also essential to accelerate economic development and further grow our state’s workforce to meet the demand for data centers and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

It is time for Connecticut policymakers to partner with utilities to meet our growing energy demands.

Natural gas will be with us for many years to come, and now, as electrification gradually expands in the future, gas distribution companies are prepared to work with the state to ensure safe and reliable gas distribution.

But this cannot be done if important infrastructure improvements are put on hold for the sake of worthy but conflicting goals.

To address these urgent issues, Connecticut policymakers should work with utilities to meet our growing energy demands while supporting the development of additional sustainable energy sources.

If they fail, both our climate and economic stability will be at risk.

About the Author: Chris DiPentima is the president and CEO of CBIA, Connecticut’s largest business association.