Acadia Center Comments on Massachusetts D.P.U Docket 20-80 in Response to Stakeholder Meeting Covering Scenarios to be Analyzed

In August 2021, Acadia Center submitted written comments in response to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities Docket 20-80, an investigation into the role of gas distribution companies (LDCs) as the Commonwealth works to achieve its mandated 2030 and target 2050 climate goals. On August 24, 2021 the LDCs’ consultants facilitated a stakeholder meeting that provided an overview of select scenarios they propose to model. Acadia Center is concerned that the proposed scenarios do not: 1) evaluate a 100% decommissioning of the existing gas system, 2) account for the customer cost ramifications and environmental justice impacts that may happen as a smaller base of gas customers must cover the costs required to maintain the gas network as other customers disconnect gas service in favor of electrification, 3) quantify the negative health and safety impacts of continued reliance on combustible fuels, and 4) acknowledge the proven ability of cold climate air source heat pumps to serve as the sole source of space heating in the vast majority of the Commonwealth’s buildings.