Duke’s gas pipeline plan signals decades of dependence on fracked gas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Today, Duke Energy released a plan to further commit itself to fossil fuels. Duke’s long-term overreliance on gas has led to methane leaks —  which is 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the near term — and increased safety issues for communities living above or near these pipelines. Many experts agree that gas — a fossil fuel that is not renewable —  is a risky way to spend customers’ money as it has adverse effects on people’s health and safety, especially at a time when clean, renewable energy sources are already cheaper.  

Duke knows all too well that the gas industry is collapsing, having cancelled its fracked gas Atlantic Coast Pipeline earlier this year amid construction delays and ballooning costs. Furthermore, the fracking industry has never been financially viable, and is driven by oversupply and massive amounts of debt. Even before the pandemic cratered the market, there was vast systemic weakness in the oil and gas industry, according to a report from the Center for International Environmental Law. And industry insiders are reading the writing on the wall, with BP pivoting away from oil and gas, ConEd announcing they would no longer invest in gas transmission, and EQT, the largest gas producer in America, curtailing gas production twice this year.

Meanwhile, the safety risks to communities are all too clear. Every gas pipeline is a dangerous pipeline. According to Pipeline and Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration (PHMSA), on average between 2016 and 2018, every four days there was a gas pipeline incident that killed someone, sent a person to the hospital, and/or caused a fire and/or explosion. 

In response, Dave Rogers, Southeast deputy regional campaign director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, issued the following statement:

“Duke’s plan to double down on fracked gas means a deadly explosive will continue to pump through our communities, putting our safety and health at risk. Making these changes will further cement Duke’s dependence on gas, which is a dangerous fossil fuel that is not, and never will be, clean or renewable. Duke should not be praised for a plan that further endangers our climate, health, safety, and economy. Instead it should make a plan to phase gas out and use those savings to meet its own clean energy goals.”

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