US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure

RMI argues that continued high spending on US gas distribution infrastructure is counterproductive to climate goals and risks creating stranded assets. The document advocates for a shift toward electrification and energy efficiency for residential and commercial buildings, while limiting gas infrastructure spending to targeted safety needs and high-value industrial applications.

• US gas utilities significantly increased spending on distribution infrastructure, spending $21 billion in 2019, which is more than four times the amount spent a decade earlier. This trend deepens reliance on fossil gas and complicates the transition to clean energy alternatives.
• Hydrogen and biomethane are viewed as expensive alternatives that are unsuitable for residential and commercial buildings, where electrification is a viable solution. These fuels are estimated to remain seven to nine times more costly than fossil gas by 2050 and should be reserved for power generation and hard-to-abate industrial uses.
• Addressing methane leaks through massive pipeline replacement is costly and potentially inefficient. For example, a pipeline replacement program in Chicago started by Peoples Gas in 2011 with a $2.6 billion budget is now expected to require an additional $7.7 billion and another 20 years to complete.
• Replacing all US gas mains over 50 years old—which comprise 26 percent of the system or approximately 337,000 miles—would require replacing over 28,000 miles per year until 2050. This is more than three times the replacement rate of the last five years and would lead to immense spending and stranded asset risks.
• To align with climate goals, policymakers should consider restricting expanded gas infrastructure through all-electric building codes, phasing out gas allowances, and requiring evaluations of non-pipe alternatives.

APA

RMI (2021). US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure. https://rmi.org/resources/us-cant-meet-climate-goals-while-spending-billions-on-gas-infrastructure/

Chicago

RMI. US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure. 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/us-cant-meet-climate-goals-while-spending-billions-on-gas-infrastructure/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=RMI |title=US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure |date=2 August 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/us-cant-meet-climate-goals-while-spending-billions-on-gas-infrastructure/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rmi2021cant, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{US Can’t Meet Climate Goals While Spending Billions on Gas Infrastructure}}, publisher = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/us-cant-meet-climate-goals-while-spending-billions-on-gas-infrastructure/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }