Analyzing the Gas System: A Framework to Reduce Consumer Costs and Risks

The report highlights the rising costs of energy infrastructure in the U.S., noting that electric and gas utilities are planning trillions of dollars in investments that lead to higher consumer rates. It argues that while electric utilities have established tools for cost containment and risk management, gas utility oversight is lacking due to invisible infrastructure, insufficient data requirements, and a lack of technical expertise among decision-makers. The author proposes the adoption of Gas System Analysis (GSA) to provide the foundational data necessary for regulators to make informed, fiscally prudent decisions regarding gas distribution, transmission, and storage systems.

• U.S. energy consumers face significant cost increases due to massive infrastructure investments. Investor-owned electric utilities are projected to spend $207.9 billion in 2025, with plans for over $1.1 trillion through 2030. Gas utility construction expenditures rose from $32.7 billion in 2022 to $49.1 billion in 2023, with potential spending exceeding $1.4 trillion by 2050 for system expansion and pipeline replacement.
• A large number of U.S. utilities are raising rates, which will significantly increase consumer costs by 2028. Analysis from the Center for American Progress indicates that at least 210 gas and electric utilities have proposed or implemented rate hikes that will increase electricity bills by $71.2 billion and gas bills by $18.7 billion by 2028.

APA

Brown, L. (2025). Analyzing the Gas System: A Framework to Reduce Consumer Costs and Risks. Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/report/analyzing-the-gas-system-a-framework-to-reduce-consumer-costs-and-risks/

Chicago

Brown, Lydia. Analyzing the Gas System: A Framework to Reduce Consumer Costs and Risks. Energy Innovation, 2025. https://energyinnovation.org/report/analyzing-the-gas-system-a-framework-to-reduce-consumer-costs-and-risks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brown |first1=Lydia |title=Analyzing the Gas System: A Framework to Reduce Consumer Costs and Risks |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=8 December 2025 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/report/analyzing-the-gas-system-a-framework-to-reduce-consumer-costs-and-risks/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brown2025analyzing, author = {Brown, Lydia}, title = {{Analyzing the Gas System: A Framework to Reduce Consumer Costs and Risks}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/report/analyzing-the-gas-system-a-framework-to-reduce-consumer-costs-and-risks/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }