Reducing Reliance on Natural Gas through Renewable Energy

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that Massachusetts is over-reliant on natural gas, which exposes consumers to price volatility and hinders climate goals. The report proposes a policy mix including increased hydropower, land-based wind, and 2,000 MW of offshore wind to reduce natural gas's share of New England's electricity generation from a projected 52% to 42% by 2030, while keeping cost increases for residential consumers to approximately $3.00 per month.

• Massachusetts has become heavily dependent on natural gas for electricity, with the fuel accounting for 64 percent of the state's generation in 2015, up from 30 percent in 2001.
• Overreliance on natural gas exposes Massachusetts consumers to volatile fuel prices; for example, a cold winter in 2013–2014 led one utility to raise electricity rates by 37 percent the following winter, increasing average household monthly bills by $40.
• A proposed suite of clean energy policies—including an accelerated renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of nearly 40 percent by 2030 and 2,000 megawatts of offshore wind—could reduce natural gas's share of New England's electricity generation to 42 percent by 2030, compared to 52 percent under a business-as-usual scenario.
• Implementing the proposed policy mix could reduce power sector CO2 emissions by 5.2 million tons between 2017 and 2030, which would represent more than one-third of the reductions needed between 2020 and 2030 to meet a 40 percent reduction target below 1990 levels.
• The transition to the proposed renewable energy mix would result in modest electricity bill increases by 2030: approximately $3.00 per month for residential, $32 for commercial, and $333 for industrial customers compared to business as usual.
• The proposed shift toward renewables could generate regional and global health and economic benefits exceeding $350 million in 2030 by reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and CO2.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Reducing Reliance on Natural Gas through Renewable Energy. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/massachusetts-electricity-future.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Reducing Reliance on Natural Gas through Renewable Energy. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/massachusetts-electricity-future.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Reducing Reliance on Natural Gas through Renewable Energy |date=April 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/massachusetts-electricity-future.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016reducing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Reducing Reliance on Natural Gas through Renewable Energy}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/massachusetts-electricity-future.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }