Authored by Michele Brooks, Boston Community Organizer, Massachusetts Sierra Club
Our hearts go out to all those displaced and affected by the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. This kind of tragedy could have happened to any community with gas service, no matter which company provides the service.
Gas is an explosive substance and there are always risks of human error. There have been over 3,200 gas accidents costing over $50,000 or causing an injury or fatality since 1987 in the US.
Safety must be the number one priority. We need to prioritize the required maintenance, and upgrades of our existing gas infrastructure to ensure risks of incidents are minimized. At the same time we must recognize the health, safety, and environmental costs of continuing with this system.
We can move beyond combustion entirely. There are safer alternatives that don’t require we return to dirty, dangerous gas to power and heat our homes and businesses. For example, some district heating systems are powered by steam, heat pumps, or biogas. All of these technologies, like building electrification, are increasingly being deployed around the world as communities work to lower their greenhouse gas emissions.
For our neighbors who are now without gas in the Merrimack Valley, one alternative being offered is to switch heating, water, and cooking systems to electric technologies. For cooking, this means induction cooktops, for hot water, this would include efficient electric water heaters or solar hot water heaters, and for space heating, this can involve air source or ground source heat pumps. Utilizing electric heating & cooling technologies as we simultaneously clean up our electric grid means our built environment gets cleaner along with it.
Residents have a right to choose how they power and heat their homes. Some may choose to return to gas service, and others may not. Right now while Columbia Gas scrambles to get 48 miles of pipelines installed before the coming cold season, they have indicated that they will pay for some customers to switch their heating supply to another source than Natural Gas.
One way you can help the families impacted by this disaster right now is by donating to the Gas Leaks Allies fundraiser for induction cooktops. These electric cooktops will enable those without gas to cook hot meals, and allow families to start making the transition towards electrification.
As we face this crisis together, let’s not repeat our mistakes from last century. Let’s build an equitable 21st century renewable energy economy: rethinking our fuel sources, how that energy is delivered, how the costs are shared, and how we can all benefit from local, safer, and cleaner power.