Massachusetts bill would end a costly gas pipeline repair program

Massachusetts state senators want to phase out a program that lets gas utilities charge customers extra to replace old pipes faster. The program, called the Gas System Enhancement Plan (GSEP), started in 2014 to speed up fixes to aging, leak-prone gas lines. It currently adds 8% to 11% to the average customer's gas bill, and spending has grown fast, hitting close to $900 million planned for this year. A Senate bill passed this month would gradually cut what utilities can spend on GSEP each year and end the program entirely by November 1, 2030, years earlier than utilities' own target dates, some as late as 2039.

Utilities argue GSEP is essential for safety and for cutting greenhouse gas emissions from leaky pipes. But critics, including state lawmakers and outside researchers, say the evidence doesn't back that up. Pipeline safety incidents actually rose in Massachusetts and similar states after these programs began, and the emissions cuts utilities point to amount to less than 1% of natural gas emissions per year. Critics also worry the state is paying to bury new pipes that may become obsolete well before they're paid off, as Massachusetts pushes toward net-zero emissions by 2050 and household gas use continues to drop.

For homeowners, this is a bill still moving through the legislature, not a done deal. The House's version of the energy bill doesn't address GSEP at all, so the program's future depends on how the two chambers reconcile their proposals. If the phaseout goes through, it could eventually mean smaller charges on gas bills tied to pipeline replacement work.