THE PIPELINE COMPANY Enbridge is exploring what it calls Project Maple, a major expansion of its fracked gas pipeline that runs from New Jersey to Massachusetts.
The Canadian fossil fuel corporation erroneously claims New England, New Jersey, and New York need more gas for homes and buildings and to generate electricity. In reality, as federal and state financial support is increasingly available for clean energy development and alternatives to gas appliances, the tide is quickly turning against fossil fuel usage regionwide. This is especially true for electricity generation and home heating – the region’s two largest consumers of fracked gas.
According to a recent Synapse report commissioned by Sierra Club, adding Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island’s targeted 9 gigawatts of offshore wind to the New England power grid by 2030 would generate enough power to account for approximately 30 percent of the region’s annual electricity demand, massively displacing gas consumption and the need for new gas pipelines.
Clean, renewable offshore wind would also boost grid reliability since the coastal turbines generate the most power during winter when the gas supply is especially constrained and unreliable. Offshore wind would also retain more than half ($1.57 billion) of the $3 billion that New Englanders send out of the region annually on gas for power plants.
Unlike gas, which warms our planet and poisons our air when combusted or leaked, offshore wind would dramatically reduce climate-warming and health-worsening emissions. In 2030, nine gigawatt offshore wind would eliminate a whopping 42 percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions from the New England power sector. Reaching the nine gigawatt would also result in $362 million in annual public health benefits by slashing 3,700 short tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 824 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, and more annual emissions.
In addition to expanding clean solutions for electricity generation, the region is also moving quickly to alleviate its reliance on gas in homes and buildings for heating and cooling. Massachusetts – alongside neighboring states Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine – was recently awarded a $450 million climate pollution reduction grant to fund a new regional program called The New England Heat Pump Accelerator.
Heat pumps are zero-emission, electrically-powered, and highly efficient home heating and cooling appliances that set home temperatures by moving hot air. During the summer, heat pumps push hot air from inside of a home outside. During the winter, the same heat pump pulls warm air from outside back inside.
In addition to the climate pollution reduction grant, plus millions of dollars of Inflation Reduction Act funds earmarked for heat pump installation, Massachusetts also passed legislation this session setting aside $425 million for home energy efficiency and electrification.
Gov.Maura Healey has also committed $90 million to the affordable housing decarbonization grant program, ensuring decarbonization benefits for low-income and environmental justice communities.
For over a decade, progress toward a clean energy future has been slow but steady on Beacon Hill. The Global Warming Solutions Act required a full transition off fossil fuels, the Act for Energy Diversity created the state’s entire offshore wind industry, and a slew of smaller changes in the Roadmap bill reformed the way that state regulators think about energy entirely.
Still, the fossil industry is expanding. While passing laws that imply its demise by mid-century, legislators have not touched the gas industry. Most recently, Sierra Club and allies have forced the issue at the Legislature, telling state leaders to address fossil fuels in their 2024 climate bill. Measures poised to become law would decrease unnecessary ratepayer spending and deny local expansions when alternatives are available.
New England cannot afford to move backwards. Project Maple will offset years of hard-won progress securing retirements for all New England coal plants. If constructed, emissions from the project would be equivalent to an astounding seven new coal plants. As more consumers embrace clean alternatives in their homes and buildings, the health and economic burden of the project will fall on families and businesses who continue to use gas.
Thankfully, we can correct course. The growing amount of grants and awards dedicated to heat pump installation and the continued development of clean energy projects, including the region’s growing offshore wind portfolio, point to a sustainable future. State leaders must reject Project Maple and all other new or expanded gas proposals, and instead double down on a just, clean energy transition for our state and a sustainable New England.
Vick Mohanka is chapter director of Sierra Club Massachusetts.
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