Opinion: Let’s be clear CT. Natural gas is not green or clean

Connecticut cannot simultaneously pursue clean and renewable energy and increase use of natural gas.

On July 1, Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation that establishes a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target for Connecticut by 2050, with a new interim target for 2040.  About potential costs, he said, “You think fighting pollution is expensive, you ought to see the cost of not dealing with climate change or climate chaos, “billions of dollars over the last five or six storms just in the last three or four years.”  He gave a shout-out to the young people who advocated for the bill: “Keep reminding us that it’s not just about the next few years, it’s about the next few generations, and what we’re doing makes a difference.”

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In response to reporters’ questions, though, Governor Lamont again championed natural gas, saying “It makes a difference to replace oil-based furnaces with gas,” and that he’s “working with all the players” about getting “gas up from Pennsylvania. What we’ve got to do as a state is make sure we stay green and clean.”

Let’s be clear. Natural gas is not green or clean, and natural gas pipelines and compressor stations are definitely not green or clean. Natural gas is mainly methane, which is a strong greenhouse gas; Connecticut can’t reach its greenhouse gas target by releasing more of it using natural gas.  Heat pumps that heat and cool should replace oil furnaces.

In addition, the monetary costs (one analysis reported that the cost per mile for almost all pipeline projects, “has gone up by almost 90% for projects proposed or completed since 2024”) and risks of building or expanding existing pipelines include:  destruction of natural areas, risk of spills, health dangers of contaminated drinking water sources, pollution from compressor stations, and risk of enormous damage in nearby communities.  For example, a proposed compressor station in North Carolina involves a 42-inch pipeline with a blast zone with hundreds of homes, businesses, schools, day cares, parks, and recreation centers. Pollution from burning natural gas is also harmful to human health. The irresistible attraction of natural gas is a money trap and a death trap.

But the most surprising and disappointing part was the failure to focus on recent progress and fully commit to the tremendous opportunities in clean energy.

The Research and Policy Center reported in 2023 that:

• Connecticut generated more solar energy in a single year than all solar generation before 2018 combined, putting it 23rd place in the national solar rankings.
• 29,587 electric vehicles (EVs) were registered in Connecticut, putting it 22nd nationally in EV growth between 2014 and 2023.
• Connecticut added 904 EV charging ports in 2023, a 55% increase from 2022, putting it 20th in the country in EV charging ports installed.

Also, America’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm was officially open as of March 2024 with turbines that were staged and assembled at State Pier in New London, Connecticut.

New discoveries, innovations, and breakthroughs in clean and renewable energy and energy systems are reported almost daily, for example, breakthroughs in better materials for solar panels and innovations that increase their efficiency.  There’s also using sunlight to make clean energy from CO₂; breakthroughs in hydrogen-powered energy; innovations in battery storage; small wind turbines; networked geothermal systems, and solar plus battery storage, which was forecast to make up 81% of new electric-generating capacity in 2024, and more.  Then there’s agrivoltaics, which “has the potential to help farmers adapt to climate change and diversify their income through land lease payments or other business structures.”  This could be especially helpful in alleviating potential competition between solar farms and agricultural farms in Connecticut.

Connecticut lags notably in adopting clean energy programs compared with neighboring states; that leaves a lot of room for improvement and good examples to follow.

Yes, what we do makes a difference, and it’s about future generations. Let’s make that difference in the direction of clean and renewable energy, not dirty and dangerous natural gas.

Christine Feely is a member of the Sierra Club Greater Hartford Group Executive Committee.