NGA President and CEO Jose Costa published the following Op-Ed:

Winter of '26 makes case for natural gas

Recent Persistent Cold pushed our Energy Systems to the Edge

As Winter Storm Fern swept across the country and into the Northeast, the nation’s energy systems were pushed to their limits. While the Northeast avoided the major blackouts that hit parts of the South, our region was far from unscathed. Extended cold after the storm left the electric system operating under extraordinary strain, with energy demand hovering near record levels as utilities worked to keep homes, hospitals, and businesses warm.

Electric Grid operators were forced to seek emergency orders from the U.S. Department of Energy to allow generators to exceed air quality permit limitations to keep electricity flowing. States issued waivers so trucked fuel deliveries could continue despite hazardous conditions. These measures helped avoid catastrophe—but they also serve as a warning.

It does not have to be this way. A more resilient, affordable, and realistic path forward already exists.

Natural Gas is the Linchpin for Reliability

Natural gas is the backbone of the Northeast’s energy system. Across the region, natural gas is the most popular fuel choice for home heating. Roughly 50% of homes in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and nearly 60% of homes in New York use natural gas as their primary fuel for heating. On the coldest days of the year, the natural gas system can deliver more than three times more energy than the electric system delivers on the hottest day of the year. Gas also plays a central role in the region’s electric system, accounting for more than half of the electricity generation in New England annually, and serving as the top fuel for electricity generation in New York.

To quote the North American Electric Reliability Council, “natural gas is essential to the reliability of the grid during the electricity industry’s unprecedented transformation.”

As warmer days approach, it is important to recognize the vital role natural gas – and the industry workforce – played in ensuring the region’s reliability this winter.

Reliability Requires Investment

Despite this reality, investments in gas infrastructure faces growing scrutiny. Some argue the system should be wound down as electrification expands, warning that spending on pipeline safety and reliability could become “sunk costs.” The fact is, despite aggressive promotion of electrification, most homes that install electric heating options don’t disconnect from existing systems. Failing to replace aging infrastructure would not accelerate a clean energy future; it would simply increase risk. Now is the wrong time to disincentivize pipeline safety investments.

Pipeline Constraints Diminish Reliability and Affordability

The Northeast is severely pipeline constrained. Natural gas is abundant and affordable in nearby Pennsylvania and Appalachia, but insufficient infrastructure prevents that supply from reaching New York and New England. As a result, the region relies on imported gas or more carbon-intensive fuels like oil. Imported LNG can contribute up to 35% of New England’s natural gas on peak winter days, exposing residents to volatile global markets and potentially higher energy costs.

The solution is straightforward. A recent Northeast Power Coordinating Council study found that adding pipeline capacity may be the most economical way to relieve fuel constraints. Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie has warned that new and expanded natural gas infrastructure is essential to avoiding a grid reliability crisis. Yet nearly every proposed pipeline project over the past decade has been blocked.

Demand and Emissions

Some argue that climate concerns outweigh the reliability and affordability benefits of natural gas. Recent experience in New England shows otherwise.

When pipeline constraints limit gas availability during cold snaps, home heating is prioritized and the electric grid turns to oil. During this winter’s prolonged cold, oil generation, normally negligible, rose to roughly 40% of New England’s electricity supply. As a result, oil-fired plants accounted for more than half of grid carbon dioxide emissions.

ISO New England has repeatedly noted that natural gas has been the primary driver of emissions reductions in the power sector over the past two decades. Federal data shows this trend extends across the country. Returning to oil during periods of peak demand quickly erases that progress and introduces additional reliability risks, as fuel deliveries depend on fragile, weather-sensitive logistics.

Pipelines offer a cleaner, more reliable alternative—providing continuous, weather-resilient fuel delivery at scale. Policies that restrict natural gas infrastructure in the name of decarbonization risk producing the opposite outcome: higher emissions, higher costs, and greater reliability risks when energy is needed most.

You can read a version of this op-ed published in CT Insider here: CT Insider