As the United States strives to meet ambitious climate targets and transition to cleaner energy sources, the changing role of natural gas utilities is paramount. With over 77 million customers receiving energy from gas utilities, a shift away from fossil fuels is challenging but essential. In this webinar, utility decarbonization experts from RMI, National Grid, and PG&E discuss the research findings from a recent RMI-National Grid joint report on the role of non-pipeline alternatives (NPAs) and integrated energy planning in shaping the energy transition.
Non-pipeline alternatives aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce costs by offering alternatives to traditional natural gas systems. These can include electrification of a building’s equipment or connection to lower-carbon infrastructure like thermal energy networks. National Grid and RMI’s research focused on nine case studies from the US and Europe that shed light on current efforts underway, and what challenges must be addressed to advance this promising solution in step with better integrated energy planning by utilities.