On November 17th, the Boston Globe published an opinion piece by former Massachusetts DPU Chair Jamie Van Nostrand, suggesting that high gas bills are the result of a gas system that is “larger than necessary.” That characterization ignores crucial factors and regulatory circumstances that contribute to what makes up the energy bill. Further, it totally ignores the crucial role the gas system plays in the Commonwealth.

NGA submitted a response to the Globe to provide critical context that was missing from the Mr. Van Nostrand’s piece. The Globe ultimately did not accept our submission, noting that they do not publish rebuttals.

Because these issues matter to Massachusetts families, especially heading into another New England winter, we are sharing our full submission below, because every customer deserves clear, honest information about what is driving their energy bills.

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NGA Op-Ed Submission to the Boston Globe

With winter approaching, heating costs are once again top of mind. In his November 17^th opinion piece “Why Mass. gas bills are rising — and what we need to do about it,” former Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Chair Jamie Van Nostrand blamed high gas bills on maintaining a gas system he alleges is “larger than necessary.” That narrative ignores crucial facts and regulatory circumstances – including many shaped during Mr. Van Nostrand’s tenure.

Massachusetts has some of the highest energy bills in the country. That crisis deserves transparency, not selective diagnosis.

Gas System Safety & Reliability

In his opinion piece, the former-Chair lays blame for high bills on what he deems “business as usual” investments to repair and replace aging pipelines. Notably, he fails to mention that these investments are required by federal safety regulations and are essential to ensuring safe, reliable service. The natural gas network in the Northeast was developed more than a century ago. Since 2015, gas utilities have replaced thousands of miles of aging pipe, improving safety and reliability, while reducing emissions from leaks. It is essential this work continues.

Not discussed in the piece is how essential natural gas is for energy reliability. Natural gas heats about half of the homes and businesses and fuels over 60% of electric generation in Massachusetts. Nationally, the gas system delivers nearly 4x more energy than the electric system on peak days. The electric grid is incapable of taking on this load, especially as renewable energy projects stall. Gas is so important for reliability, Governor Healey’s administration recently supported a proposal to secure more natural gas via a transmission expansion project.

If we downsize the gas network too quickly, the results would be disastrous: customers would see their natural gas and electric bills spike, and electric and natural gas outages could become more common.

What is Driving High Bills?

While critics take aim at pipeline safety expenses, they frequently neglect to mention the cost of other state mandated surcharges on utility bills, including items related to Mass Save and green energy charges, which subsidize electric heat pumps and energy efficiency upgrades for certain homeowners. The costs of these programs have risen sharply – from $3.94 billion in 2022-2024 to $4.5 billion in 2025-2027. Notably, the state forbids gas customers from using Mass Save to buy efficient gas-heating systems, yet gas ratepayers still pay the charges.

In Mr. Van Nostrand’s opinion piece, he claims that his focus is heating homes affordably. However, under his leadership, DPU issued its “Beyond Gas” order, which acknowledged transitioning away from gas would lead to higher costs. The order stated “decarbonization of the natural gas industry may result in higher costs being imposed on ratepayers. Given the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, however, we are reluctant to slow the pace [of transition] due to concerns about affordability for low- and moderate-income utility customers.”

To claim affordability is his focus is inconsistent with the record. Moreover, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) consistently shows that natural gas is the most affordable option for home heating. If affordability is the concern, we should invest in the gas system.

The Path Forward

We agree that sustainability and emissions reductions are essential. Affordability and reliability are also essential. Balancing these issues will require natural gas to be part of the solution. Gas utilities are investing in technology to find and repair leaks faster and more efficiently. They are piloting geothermal projects and utilizing cleaner fuels like renewable natural gas. According to New England’s electric grid operator, the primary driver of emissions reductions has been the shift to natural-gas-fired generation. In Massachusetts, more than 500,000 homes still use fuel oil/kerosene for home heating. By converting these homes to gas we could reduce emissions even further.

The energy evolution is complex. Massachusetts ratepayers deserve a candid conversation about what drives high costs. Natural gas utilities have an obligation to serve our customers– an obligation we take seriously. We look forward to working with the new commissioners at the DPU as DPU fulfills its mission of ensuring reliable service at the lowest possible cost for Massachusetts residents.

José Costa

President and CEO, Northeast Gas Association