Authors: Joshua Castigliego and Liz Stanton, PhD
February 2021
On February 25, 2021, Researcher Joshua Castigliego and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD presented on the future of gas in Massachusetts for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Mr. Castigliego and Dr. Stanton spoke on today's planned gas investments, the transition towards cleaner energy sources to meet the Commonwealth's climate goals, and the declining cost of electric heating over the next decade.
Client: HEET
Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Sagal Alisalad, Tanya Stasio, and Liz Stanton, PhD
January 2021 (Updated March 2021)
On behalf of the HEET, Researcher Joshua Castigliego, Assistant Researcher Sagal Alisalad, Research Assistant Tanya Stasio, and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD compared the annual energy cost of heating the average-sized home in Massachusetts using either a gas furnace or electric heat pumps. This analysis focuses exclusively on a home’s annual heating bill as it is the most relevant measure for Massachusetts households. Home heating bills influence fuel choice and put a disproportionate burden on low- and moderate-income families that spend a larger share of their income on energy bills. In this white paper, AEC finds that while today’s gas heating bills are less expensive than the electricity needed to run an air-source heat pump (ASHP), this relationship will reverse. Heating with ASHPs will become less expensive than heating with gas, with an inflection point occurring at some point between 2026 and 2030.
Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Tanya Stasio, and Liz Stanton, PhD
December 2020
In response to a question posed by Gas Leak Allies, Researcher Joshua Castigliego, Research Assistant Tanya Stasio, and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a policy brief that calculates the costs (including financial returns to investors) of repairing Massachusetts' leaky gas system. Our assessment finds that it would take over 90 years to fully pay off the $15.5-$16.6 billion required to replace Massachusetts' leak-prone gas infrastructure. However, new gas pipes installed today will become obsolete in 30 years as Massachusetts makes the changes needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. To stay on track to meet the Commonwealth's 2050 climate goals, the gas industry needs a managed transition geared towards the most efficient and equitable outcomes for customers.
Client: GreenRoots
Author: Bryndis Woods, PhD
December 2020
On behalf of GreenRoots, Senior Researcher Bryndis Woods provided written comments in response to a February 28, 2020 EFSB Tentative Decision that recommends approval of the proposed location of the substation in East Boston and the two underground transmission lines in Everett, Chelsea, and East Boston.
On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, EFSB held the first of two public online forums to listen to comments and vote on whether to approve, approve with conditions or amendments, or reject a Tentative Decision issued by the Siting Board. At a second forum on February 8, 2021, Dr. Woods presented her written comments on the matter, which recommend that EFSB vote to reject the Tentative Decision issued by the Siting Board given that Eversource has failed to provide sufficient information to allow third-party review of its needs and reliability assessment of the proposed East Eagle Street Substation.
Client: GreenRoots
Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, and Sagal Alisalad
September 2020
This Applied Economics Clinic policy brief—prepared on behalf of GreenRoots, a Chelsea-based organization working to achieve environmental justice—presents ways in which Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs can provide important benefits for vulnerable communities, including better community control and participation in energy choices, protection from predatory suppliers, more renewable content, and lower costs than Eversource and National Grid’s basic electric service rates.
Client: Massachusetts Climate Action Network
Authors: Bryndis Woods, Sagal Alisalad, Myisha Majumder, Liz Stanton, PhD
September 2020
On behalf of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network, the Applied Economics Clinic reviewed over 60 Municipal Light Plants (MLPs) and electric cooperatives across 27 states to identify leaders in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and beneficial electrification programs. This white paper includes case studies of effective programs implemented by electric providers in this assessment. Overall, AEC found that MLPs in Massachusetts can utilize energy efficiency, renewable energy, and beneficial electrification to improve their energy programs.
Client: Renew New England
Authors: AEC Staff
August 2020
On behalf of the Renew New England coalition, AEC used publicly available data to produce visualizations of racial disparities.
There are three sets of data graphics:
1) The first set shows disparities in rates of incarceration, average income, COVID-19 cases, and unemployment across as many as five racial categories: Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latinx and white. This data is presented for each of the New England states and the U.S.
2) The second set shows Black/white disparities across as many as 23 measures (e.g. homelessness, infant mortality, educational attainment). This data is presented for Massachusetts and the total U.S.
3) Black/white unemployment for all U.S. states and the U.S. average.
The data demonstrate that racial inequalities are pervasive across common measures of well-being like employment, incarceration, poverty status and educational attainment. These inequalities are consistent across New England and the rest of the United States. For example, across the United States today, a Black individual is 6.4 times more likely than a white individual to be incarcerated, 2.4 times more likely to have a positive COVID-19 test, and 2.2 times more likely to be unemployed.
Author: Bryndis Woods
July 2020
Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared a policy brief that investigates a hypothetical scenario: What could a 25-cent per month electrification surcharge on Massachusetts consumers’ electric bills buy? This policy brief presents different investment options for the Commonwealth, including installing high-speed electric vehicle chargers, installing electric air source heat pumps, providing used-electric vehicle rebates, and providing zero-interest loans on used electric vehicle purchases.
Client: Gas Leak Allies
Author: Joshua R. Castigliego and Liz Stanton, PhD
June 2020 (Updated Sept. 2020)
On behalf of the Gas Leak Allies, Researcher Joshua Castigliego and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD prepared a policy brief that compares the costs of status quo gas system repair in Massachusetts to the costs of repair under the FUTURE Act. The “FUTURE Act” (An Act For a Utility Transition to Using Renewable Energy, H.2849, S.1940) was introduced in the Massachusetts Legislature in early 2019. The Act aims not only to address existing safety challenges, but also to create a path forward for gas distribution companies to move away from the fossil fuel delivery business and be a part of the clean energy transition. Our assessment finds that Massachusetts’ FUTURE Act (if passed) could save consumers $10.7 billion while transitioning the Commonwealth to a zero-carbon, renewable thermal future.
Client: Town of Ashland
Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Joshua R. Castigliego, Bryndis Woods, and Eliandro Tavares
May 2020
Clinic Director Liz Stanton, PhD, Researchers Joshua Castigliego and Bryndis Woods, and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares authored this white paper on behalf of the Town of Ashland to assess the need for the Hopkinton-Ashland Transfer Line Replacement project. Proposed by Eversource to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board in 2018, Eversource maintains that the pipeline is required to address current and future customer gas demand, as well as the need for redundancy in the gas delivery system. AEC found that Eversource's claims are not strongly substantiated, include errors/omissions, and do not adequately consider alternatives to building additional gas infrastructure. Overall, this white paper deems the project unnecessary in satisfying both current and expected gas demand, that redundancy is not the planning standard in the state, and that the pipeline contradicts emissions targets and climate laws as Massachusetts transitions to a zero-carbon future.
Client: Conservation Law Foundation
Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods and Eliandro Tavares
Updated April 28, 2020
In February 2020, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs requested public feedback on setting a 2050 emissions limit that will achieve the Commonwealth’s 2050 goal of net-zero emissions. On behalf of Conservation Law Foundation, this Applied Economics Clinic white paper provides eight recommendations for the Commonwealth as it works to set its 2050 emission targets. We argue that Massachusetts should set an ambitious 2050 emissions reductions target that builds in flexibility to account for truly recalcitrant emissions via carbon sinks, distinguishes the state as a national leader on climate, clearly defines and limits the use of carbon sinks until the Commonwealth approaches full decarbonization in 2050, considers the context of global climate change and local impacts, is in line with the best available science, and uses modeling tools that are able to consider a full range of emission reduction technologies.
Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD and Eliandro Tavares
March 2020
Researcher Bryndis Woods, Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a presentation that assesses housing costs as a share of income across the New England states. We find that, across New England, lower-income households bear a greater rent burden than higher-income households. Between 2011 and 2017, some households’ rent as a share of income has risen, as a result of falling incomes and/or rising rents that can lead to displacement.
Client: Town of Weymouth
Author: Liz Stanton, PhD
February 2020
On behalf of the Town of Weymouth, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD provided Applied Economics Clinic expert testimony to Docket 19-132 before the Massachusetts' Department of Public Utilities. In her testimony, Dr. Stanton examined whether National Grid's proposed Atlantic Bridge Agreement meets the following criteria: (1) the public need for this capacity based on forecasted demand and available alternatives, (2) the public need for this capacity based on price, and (3) consideration of evidence relevant to the Global Warming Solutions Act ("GWSA"). Dr. Stanton concluded that National Grid failed to prove the necessity, cost-effectiveness, and GWSA compliance of the proposed Atlantic Bridge Agreement.
Client: Gas Leak Allies
Authors: Liz Stanton, PhD, Bryndis Woods, Joshua Castigliego and Eliandro Tavares
December 2019
Prepared on behalf of Gas Leak Allies by Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Researchers Bryndis Woods and Joshua Castigliego, and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares, this Applied Economics Clinic policy brief demonstrates why Massachusetts cannot both continue to utilize gas for heating and meet legally mandated statewide emission reduction targets. There is a clear economic argument for focusing gas system investments on improving safety while transitioning away from gas to clean, highly efficient technologies as quickly as possible. Moving away from gas will make communities safer, save utility customers money, and meet the Commonwealth’s climate goals.
Client: Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA)
Authors: Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Research Assistant Tanya Stasio and Researcher Bryndis Woods
November 2019
Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Research Assistant Tanya Stasio and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared a white paper that estimates the per ton cost of the most expensive measure needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) by 2030—as required by the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA). AEC projects that the most expensive (per ton of CO2-e) measure needed to comply with the GWSA in 2030 will be residential and commercial thermal electrification: switching from burning gas to using electric heat pumps. The estimated cost of switching from gas to electric heat pumps in 2030 is $13 per ton of avoided CO2-e. In total, 12.2 MMT of CO2-e reductions in 2030 can be achieved at zero or net negative cost. An additional 64.0 MMT are available for under $50 per ton. In sum, there are sufficient cost-effective opportunities to meet and even exceed the reductions needed to stay on track with GWSA targets.
Client: Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA)
Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, Tyler Comings and Eliandro Tavares
August 2019
Researcher Bryndis Woods, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a policy brief that estimates the greenhouse gas emissions reduction impact from an electric heat pump or electric vehicle of a typical Massachusetts household enrolled in a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program. We find that Massachusetts households that have an electric heat pump or electric vehicle—as opposed to natural gas heating and electric A/C or a gas vehicle—and are enrolled in a CCE program with 5 percent additional renewable supply than mandated by state law reduce their emissions by 69 and 74 percent, respectively, in 2030.
Client: GreenRoots
Author: Bryndis Woods
May 2019 - June 2019
On behalf of GreenRoots, Researcher Bryndis Woods provided testimony on Eversource's justification for its proposed East Eagle Street Substation. Ms. Woods testified that Eversource has failed to substantiate its argument that the East Eagle Street Substation is needed to maintain reliability. Eversource's claimed reliability concerns include: increasing customer demand—despite the fact that ISO-New England's most recent load forecast is projected to decrease (see Figure above)—and a new Massport customer project—which is neither clearly identified or described. Eversource would need to provide updated load forecasts and more detailed information on the Massport project for a third-party review to determine the validity of Eversource's reliability claims.
Client: Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA)
Authors: Ricardo Lopez, PhD, Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Eliandro Tavares
November 2018 - May 2019
Senior Researchers Ricardo Lopez, PhD and Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a report that assessed the cost to replace residential heating and cooling systems with: 1) a gas furnace and electric central air conditioning (AC), or 2) an electric heat pump that provides both heating and cooling. The report finds that the cost-effectiveness of heat pumps depends on home-specific differences—with current Massachusetts rebates, owners of aging oil heating systems save $158 per year by choosing to replace with a heat pump instead of a gas furnace and central AC. For owners of gas heating systems, however, rebates for heat pumps are smaller than rebates for new gas furnaces, raising the relative cost of choosing heat pumps from $36 per year with no rebates to $73 per year with rebates. Even without rebates, the lifetime costs of heat pumps are only marginally more expensive than a gas furnace and central AC (see Figure above).
Client: Gas Leak Allies
Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Eliandro Tavares
November 2018 - May 2019
Researcher Bryndis Woods, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a policy brief discussing natural gas leaks in Massachusetts and assessing the return on investment for gas leak repairs in the Commonwealth.
The policy brief estimates the payback period for repairing two volume-based categories of non-explosion-hazard gas leaks (called “Grade 3” leaks):
Leaks of Significant Environmental Impact (“Grade 3 SEI”): The top 10 percent of Grade 3 leaks, which is responsible for approximately 53 percent of lost gas.
Other Grade 3 leaks: The bottom 90 percent of Grade 3 leaks, which is responsible for 47 percent of lost gas.
The policy brief concludes that, while the average cost to fix a Grade 3 leak is approximately the same ($3,740) regardless of the leak volume, the cost of lost gas is not. Grade 3 SEI leaks cost $3,850 a year in lost gas, on average, while Other Grade 3 leaks cost $380. This ten-to-one difference in the cost of leaked gas means that SEI leaks pay for their own repairs ten times faster than other Grade 3 leaks; in 1 year versus 10 years, respectively (see Figure above).
This policy brief is the second of two AEC publications on behalf of Gas Leak Allies. Our April 2019 policy brief analyzed performance-based incentives that can align Massachusetts natural gas utilities' business interests with their responsibility to reduce emissions.
Client: Clean Energy Group
Authors: Bryndis Woods and Liz Stanton, PhD
April 2019
AEC-2019-04-WP-01
On behalf of the Clean Energy Group, Researcher Bryndis Woods and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, prepared an Applied Economics Clinic white paper that presents the results of a preliminary assessment of seven non-energy benefits of battery storage. Currently, non-energy benefits of storage are not included in cost-benefit calculations for storage in Massachusetts—which has the same effect as assuming they have no value. We provide preliminary estimates of the value of seven non-energy benefits as a starting point for a discussion of how best to fully measure the advantages to Massachusetts of battery storage: avoided power outages, higher property values, avoided fines, avoided collections and terminations, avoided safety-related emergency calls, job creation, and less land used for power plants.
This white paper is part of a series of AEC publications on behalf of Clean Energy Group analyzing costs and benefits of battery storage in Massachusetts.
