Dear Mr. Judge:
As Eversource assumes the mantle from Columbia Gas in providing gas utility service to Western Massachusetts, the undersigned individuals and organizations welcome the opportunity to work with you to transition away from fossil fuels and move toward energy conservation and non-combustible clean energy sources. With Eversource’s participation, we are confident that we can create an energy future where wind and solar sources heat and cool our homes and businesses, while powering our grid and transportation systems.
What makes this lofty goal possible is the fact that Eversource Energy, unlike Columbia Gas, includes subsidiaries that supply both electricity and gas service. If Eversource is, in fact, committed to implementing the policy conveyed in its public document, “Commitment to Clean Energy & Carbon Neutrality” by 2030, the company needs to begin reducing natural gas distribution services provided by NStar and actively pursue non-combustible clean options like geothermal district heating and electric pump technologies. Eversource Energy, unlike Columbia, has the distinct ability to transition both its ratepayers and its workers to the clean energy future you have already identified as a corporate priority.
We are mindful that the Columbia Gas acquisition was prompted by consequences related to the Merrimack Valley gas disaster and its aftermath—an event that is reason enough to mandate a transition to non-combustible fuels. In addition to this threat to our safety, however, is the danger that gas fuel poses to our climate. Beyond the greenhouse gases emitted by burning natural gas, however, is the methane produced by gas power’s leaky pipes, planned and unplanned releases, and ear-splitting “blowdowns”—all of which have a devastating impact on climate change and global warming.
Finally, there is the issue of the financial cost of unwarranted gas infrastructure expansion—an expense that is inevitably passed on to ratepayers and one that has recently been scrutinized by the Attorney General of Massachusetts. The Columbia Reliability Plan has never presented data that would justify the expense and risk of this pipeline expansion.
Indeed, it was concern regarding all of the above-mentioned issues that brought community members and elected officials together in a campaign that led to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts announcing on October 11, 2019, that it would abandon its plan to build a pipeline from West Springfield to the edge of Holyoke to provide an “alternative backfeed” of gas to Holyoke Gas and Electric Company.
Given these realities—the ability of Eversource to expand its electricity component through a link to renewable energy sources, the stated intention of the company to pursue carbon neutrality by 2030, and the expense and inherent danger of gas infrastructure with respect to our neighborhoods and our climate—we respectfully request that Eversource abandon its plans to move ahead with the Longmeadow Supply Strategy Project as described in the Department of Public Utilities 20-59 Settlement proceeding Discovery from William Akley, President, Gas Operations at Eversource.
From its inception in 2017, the Longmeadow Supply Strategy Project has involved the construction of a 16” backbone main high-pressure (200 psi) pipeline that would run from a new meter station to be built in the middle of a well-established neighborhood along well-trafficked Longmeadow streets into Forest Park, passing through a densely-settled environmental justice neighborhood in Springfield’s South End.
From the outset, plans for the pipeline’s precise route have been vague. Repeated efforts from both communities to find answers to questions regarding the pipeline’s specific route and destination have also been met with no response. Community input has not been sought—and officials’ efforts to determine the need for such expansion have also been rejected.
A few observations regarding the project are certain, however. As our state races to comply with the mandated emissions reductions called for in the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act, experts agree that it will simply not be possible to reach net zero by 2050 without a close to 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and 75% by 2040. Certainly, building a high-pressure pipeline to expand gas services in any area will not contribute to that reduction but will, in fact, serve to challenge the progress that has already been made toward that goal.
As Eversource embarks on its new venture in Western Massachusetts, and indeed in all three service areas, we ask that you regard this moment as an opportunity to switch from a path involving harmful gas and fossil fuel development to a business plan that embraces green energy, stopping the steamroller of climate change that is now consuming communities across the globe.
We ask that you meet at your earliest convenience with elected town and city officials as well as representatives of concerned community groups to discuss moving forward with your Commitment to Clean Energy & Carbon Neutrality. Representatives will be contacting you in the near future to arrange a meeting to pursue this important agenda.
cc: William J. Akley, President of Gas Operations at Eversource
James W. Hunt, III, Sr. V.P. for Regulatory Affairs & Chief Communications Officer
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno
Respectfully submitted,
Columbia Gas Resistance Campaign
Along with the following twelve elected officials and ninety-two community organizations:
Elected Officials
Joanne M. Comerford
MA State Senator, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Eric P. Lesser
MA State Senator, 1st Hampden and Hampshire
Brian Ashe
MA State Representative, 1st Hampden
Lindsay N Sabadosa
MA State Representative 1st Hampshire
Melvin Edwards
Springfield City Councilor
Adam Gomez
Springfield City Councilor &
MA State Senator-Elect Hampden
Jesse Lederman
Springfield City Councilor
Orlando Ramos
Springfield City Councilor &
MA State Representative-Elect 9th Hampden
Vic Davila
Springfield City Councilor
Justin Hurst
Springfield City Councilor
Tracye Whitfield
Springfield City Councilor
Kerri O’Connor
Agawam School Committee Member &
Candidate for MA State Representative 3rd Hampden
Community Organizations
Perri Meldon
#TakeBacktheGrid
Renna B. W. Pye, MD
2degrees Northampton
Ken McDonnell
350 Central Mass
Carolyn C Barthel
350 Massachusetts for a Better Future
Pat Konecky
350MA Berkshires
Nancy Bobskill
Agawam Zero Waste
Fanny Rothschild
Amherst chapter of Amnesty International
Russ Vernon-Jones
Anti-Racism Team – First Church Amherst, UCC
Tanisha Arena
Arise for Social Justice
Jane Winn
Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)
John Prusinski
Berkshires Democratic Socialists of America
Perri Meldon
Boston DSA Ecosocialism Working Group
Jennifer Wexler
Canton for a Sustainable Equitable Future
Robert J Bonney
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Northshore Massachusetts
Richard H. Pree
Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Ashfield MA Chapter
Elizabeth Saunders
Clean Water Action
Susan Theberge
Climate Action Now
Regina LaRocque, MD
Climate Code Blue
Debbie New
Climate Finance Action
Carol Lewis
Climate Witness Committee of Mt Toby Friends Meeting
Elizabeth J Erickson
Colrain Energy Committee
Russ Vernon-Jones
Coming Together Anti-Racism Project
Sylvia Broude
Community Action Works
Pamela Schwartz & Amy Leos-Urbel
Congregation B’nai Israel Tikkun Olam Committee
Lynn Benander
Co-op Power
Russ Vernon-Jones
Earth Ministry Team – First Church Amherst, UCC
Constance Dawson
Easthampton Climate Action
Maiyim Baron
Elders Climate Action – Massachusetts Chapter
Mark Pohlman
Environmental Justice Team of First Church Of Christ Longmeadow
Susan Lemont
Extinction Rebellion Boston
Emmalie Dropkin
Extinction Rebellion Western Massachusetts
Lawrence R. Hott
Florentine Films Hott Productions
Alice Arena
Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station
Bob Armstrong
Franklin Co Continuing Political Revolution
Ibrahim Ali
Gardening the Community
Shel Horowitz
GoingBeyondSustainability.com
Anna Baker
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
The Reverend Lauren J. Holm
Greater Springfield Campaign Nonviolence
Mary Jo Maffei
GreenMoneyMA
Gail Page
Green Sanctuary, Climate Justice Group of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading
DeAnne Riddle
Greening Grace, Grace Church Amherst
Deacon Bill Toller
Holy Cross JustFaith Community
Zaida Govan
Indian Orchard Citizens council
Natalie Dunn
Indivisible Massachusetts
Brenda Kennedy Davies
Indivisible Northampton
Penny Schultz
Indivisible Williamsburg
Rabbi Katy Allen
Jewish Climate Action Network-MA
Kirstin Beatty
Last Tree Laws
Stephanie J Kent
Learning Lab for Resiliency
Samantha Hamilton
Live Well Springfield
Mark Pohlman
Longmeadow Environmental Transition Team
Michele Marantz
Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group
Sarah Dooling
Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Jacqueline Velez
Massachusetts Jobs With Justice
Carol Chamberlain
Mothers Out Front Massachusetts Leadership Team
Ernesto Cruz
Neighbor to Neighbor MA
Juana Girona
New North Citizen’s Council
Diane Brooks Ring and Lynn & Chuck Lidz
No Ashland Pipeline
Rosemary Wessel
No Fracked Gas in Mass
Bri McAlevey
No Sharon Gas Pipeline | Clean Energy Now
Eben Bein
Our Climate
Holly Richardson
Out Now
Laura Haight
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Michaela Brangan
Pioneer Valley Democratic Socialists of America
Margaret Sawyer
Pioneer Valley Workers Center
Katy Eiseman
Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast, Inc.
Jeanne Krieger
Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts
Taylor Porco
PV Housing Now
James Michel
Resist the Pipeline
Steven Botkin
Rising Together
Deb Pasternak
Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter
Michele Marantz
Sinai Temple Green Team
Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas
Social Justice Commission (Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts)
Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian
Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership
Alice Fan
Spring Forward
Susan Theberge
Springfield Climate Justice Coalition
Rose Webster-Smith
Springfield No One Leaves
Verne McArthur
Springfield Pipeline Awareness & Response Coalition
Sarah Reyes
Sunrise Hampden County
Julia Norcross
Sunrise Ipswich
Haven Vincent-Warner
Sunrise Western MA
Birgitta McAlevey
Sustainable Sharon Coalition
Don Ogden
The Enviro Show
Miranda Groux
The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice
Caroline Williams
UMass Amhest MASSPIRG Students
Laura Wagner
Unitarian Universalist Mass Action
Rev. Jason Seymour
Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield
Rob A. Okun
Voice Male Magazine
Laurel Facey
Wendell State Forest Alliance
Priscilla Lynch
Western Mass CodePink
Maria Perez
Women on the Vanguard Inc.