New research by HEET, Harvard, and PSE Health Energy finds chemical contamination in natural gas delivered to homes. Read the study here. In 2015, a natural gas storage facility near Porter Ranch, California, sprung a leak. It went on to release nearly 100,000 tons of gas into the air over four months, becoming the largest gas…
HEET started mapping gas leaks in 2015, making the magnitude of leaks in our streets visible and accessible to the general public for the first time. Now, we are excited to share an improved format of our annual gas leak maps, PLUS a first ever map of Massachusetts’ costly plans to replace aging gas pipes…
Our new report with UndauntedK12 provides the first statewide analysis of gas leaks reported at school properties. There were 91 reported gas leaks at MA schools in 2021 alone. A third of those required immediate attention by utility workers. Importantly, none of these leaks are currently an imminent threat to human safety; nor are they…
This year has been a critical time to consider the future of gas – or the lack of a future for gas! Climate laws across the country are driving states to drastically reduce emissions. To actually achieve those reductions, we must transition our energy systems away from carbon-based fuels that warm and pollute the atmosphere,…
At HEET, we’re all about systems change–and direct carbon-cutting steps are an important part of that process. HEET’s Jason Taylor is here to share some of his extensive knowledge on energy efficiency and simple steps you can take right now to cut carbon emissions at home. Jason: My devotion to cutting gas has been called…
As The Boston Globe recently reported, Eversource Gas and National Grid Gas, the two largest utilities in Massachusetts, have both received approval to install demonstration projects using HEET’s GeoMicroDistrict model: non-emitting systems of networked ground source heat pumps. The Mass. Attorney General’s Office will oversee an opportunity to design, install, own and operate an additional GeoMicroDistrict…
In a new peer-reviewed paper, Salem State University Professor Marcos Luna and HEET Director Dominic Nicholas examined over 26,000 gas leaks in relation to demographic groups. Their findings show that low-income and communities of color, as well as renters, limited English-speaking households and adults with lower levels of education, are disproportionately exposed to gas leaks…
The Shared Action Plan (SAP) is the unique collaboration between gas utilities, HEET, and our allies to prioritize finding and repairing distribution system gas leaks with the highest environmental impact. The SAP goal? Cut distribution pipe leaks in half fast. The good news–it’s working! Read the full report on year two here. Gas utilities are successfully…
At the start of 2022, HEET received the exciting news that $5 million of Massachusetts’ American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding has been allocated to researching networked geothermal energy. With six GeoMicroDistrict demonstration installations moving forward in-state, rigorous independent data collection and analysis of the results is essential. We are so grateful to Senator Barrett…
This winter, households across the Northeast region are feeling the effects of higher heating costs on their utility bills. These rising costs are due to higher fuel prices compared to last winter. On average, natural gas prices are up 32 percent over last winter. In Massachusetts, natural gas heats 51.8 percent of homes, meaning that…
