The Public Service Commission is currently accepting public comments on National Grid's Long-Term Gas Plan Proceeding. Now is the time to take action and tell state regulators to reject its plan, prioritize climate justice laws, and choose thermal energy networks, not fracked gas pipelines. Follow these steps to submit your comment:

1. Enter your information.

2. Click "Start Writing" to compose your comment.

   • Scroll down for more information. Tips and talking points you may want to include in your comment are on the next page. Feel free to copy and paste the talking points or weave them into your letter explaining why you oppose any consideration of burning more fracked gas in the next 20 years.

3. Submit your letter. It will be sent directly to the decision-makers as part of the public record.

Background:

While environmental justice and climate activists across New York State have been demanding that the government put the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) into action, which would reduce the use of climate- and life-destroying gas, the utilities have been desperately fighting to increase their dangerous, unhealthy, and expensive gas infrastructure, expanding it into more buildings and further into the future. The state regulatory agency, the Public Service Commission or PSC, has been helping them, saying YES to most of their requests for higher rates and more gas. Sane Energy Project has been battling the utilities at every turn.

Today, we ask that you to tell the PSC to reject National Grid’s Long Term Plan for gas.

The Long Term Gas Plan proceeding got its start in 2019, when National Grid imposed a moratorium on new gas connections in its downstate territories in Brooklyn and Long Island. They refused to turn on gas for new connections, falsely claiming there was not enough gas. They hoped this would convince customers and state agencies to support building a new pipeline for New York, the controversial Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) fracked gas pipeline. Enraged by the moratorium, former Governor Andrew Cuomo threatened to revoke National Grid's operating certificate in New York, and the state hit the utility with a $36 million fine and forced Grid to lift the moratorium. In addition, the PSC issued an order requiring all the gas utilities to show how they would meet their obligation to reliably deliver gas to customers and address any long-term capacity issues. It’s now National Grid’s turn, and their draft plan is being reviewed by the Department of Public Service and stakeholders, in what is known as Case Number 24-G-0248.

There are many problems with National Grid’s gas plan, but one of particular concern to Sane Energy’s Thermal Energy Networks campaign is that it assumes that gas demand will continue to grow steadily; it doesn’t consider all of the ways that we can cut gas demand, and with it our energy bills, too. These ways include energy efficiency improvements in buildings, switching to electric appliances, and using geothermal heating, especially thermal energy networks.