What does that mean?! Translation: HEET has persuaded ALL the gas companies in Massachusetts to start identifying the largest gas leaks this summer so they can start to be fixed, cutting methane emissions significantly. Even though our Department of Public Utilities has not yet enacted regulations on how to address these “environmentally significant” leaks,…
In the boiler room at a local preschool during a recent energy assessment, HEET Building Assessor Jason Taylor didn’t like the look of something about the building’s steam heat. When a steam system runs out of water, the boiler can blow up. This boiler’s low water cut-offs were both filled with sludge, so they couldn’t shut…
In September, I biked with four co-workers—Raffi Wineburg, Amy Kennedy, Holli Kenison, and Justin Bradley—through the Shenandoah National Park to raise money for HEET as part of this year’s Climate Ride. After all said and done, Team HEET, as we called ourselves, biked almost 250 miles in 3 days, collectively raised over $10,000 for both…
Dear HEET community, In just under a month, I’ll be biking almost 250 miles in 3 days through Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to raise money for HEET’s Squeaky Leaks campaign as part of my second Climate Ride. Along with four co-workers – Justin Bradley, Amy Kennedy, Holli Kenison, and Raffi Wineburg – we’ve formed an…
Ania Camargo is a board member of HEET, one of the founders and coordinators of the Gas Leaks Allies, and key leader in Mothers Out Front. Q: Why do gas leaks matter? A: There are two major reasons to pay attention to gas leaks. From an environmental perspective,…
Claire Gambrill is HEET’s Summer Energy & Environment intern In the middle of the day, the room is packed with 25 environmentalists, academics, activists, and other experts wanting to reduce methane emissions from gas leaks. The energy is excited; this group has helped pass two laws in three years. Before attending the Gas Leaks Allies…
We knew the leak was a big one. National Grid told us they thought it was a high volume gas leak. When we surveyed it using combustible gas indicators—a tool the utilities commonly use—we were amazed at how vast this leak was. The average leak saturates the surface area above it (whether it’s soil, sidewalk,…
My job involves a lot of time on the phone with solar contractors around the country, guiding them through the ins and outs of solar financing. I reckon I’ve talked with nearly 200 solar contractors over the last year and a half. Our conversations almost inevitably drift in other directions. A common tangent? American politics. Last week,…
At 8 a.m., Marsden Street in Springfield was already a sea of yellow vests and hard hats. Trouble? Not at all. The three largest utilities in Massachusetts were out in force to test the FluxBar, an innovative new tool for measuring gas leaks that Audrey Schulman and Zeyneb Magavi of HEET helped to develop. Steve…
The natural gas we use to heat our homes and businesses is sent to our buildings through pipes under the streets. These ancient pipes begin to leak over time, releasing natural gas into the atmosphere. Natural gas is primarily methane (a remarkably potent greenhouse gas). A new Harvard/Boston University study sampled the air over Boston…