National Grid to Switch MA, NY Gas Networks to RNG and Hydrogen by 2050

(Renewables Now) Utility National Grid (NYSE:NGG) on Tuesday unveiled plans for fossil-free gas and electric networks in Massachusetts and New York by 2050.

The company will aim to replace fossil fuel in its gas networks with renewable natural gas (RNG) and green hydrogen, with complementary measures including increased energy efficiency, electrification and networked geothermal.

“Just as we are investing in renewables like wind and solar to decarbonise the energy running through our electric network, we are committing to decarbonise our gas network by transitioning it completely to renewable natural gas and hydrogen by 2050 or sooner,” explained National Grid chief executive John Pettigrew. The company’s networks serve more than 20 million people in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. READ MORE

Excerpt from Reuters: National Grid plans to have New York and Massachusetts using 100% fossil-free gas by 2050, relying on a significant increase in use of RNG produced from farms, landfills, wastewater facilities and imports instead of conventional natural gas.

Earlier this month, New York finalized a $220 billion budget that omitted a provision to make the state the first to ban natural gas and other fossil fuels in new construction.

Companies and trade groups such as National Grid lobbied against that measure, arguing that giving up on gas would boost consumer costs because electric heat is much more expensive. read more

RNG is produced when gas is captured from food waste, manure or landfills and turned into fuel for transportation or heating.

California's SoCalGas wants to source 5% of the gas it sells from renewable natural gas by 2022 and 20% by 2030, its chief environmental officer told Reuters last year. read more READ MORE