In June 2020, Massachusetts’ attorney general requested that the State’s DPU commence a proceeding on the future of natural gas in the state. In a petition, the AG called for a two-phase investigation. In phase one, gas companies like National Grid, Eversource Energy and Berkshire Gas Company would be required to prepare “detailed economic analyses and business plans depicting future gas demand in a carbon-constrained economy.” Phase two would focus on the development and implementation of policies aligned with the state’s 2050 climate target and that also protect the state’s gas consumers during the transition away from fossil fuels.
In October 2020, regulators at the DPU issued an order that requires gas companies operating in Massachusetts to hire an independent consultant who will look into various ways that the companies might be able to help the state meet the State’s goal of getting to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while still protecting ratepayers and ensuring energy reliability. Each company will be required by the DPU to use the consultant’s analysis to develop a “proposal and plan for helping the Commonwealth achieve its 2050 climate goal,” the department said. Those plans must be filed with the DPU by March 1, 2022.