HOLYOKE — With no end to its natural gas moratorium in sight, Holyoke Gas & Electric is “aggressively” pursuing energy alternatives to stay ahead of demand.
James Lavelle, HG&E’s general manager, provided an update on the moratorium to the City Council’s Development and Government Relations Committee on Monday. Councilor at Large Rebecca Lisi previously filed orders seeking to understand the suspension and the utility’s renewable energy portfolio.
HG&E imposed the moratorium on new commercial and residential natural gas services in 2019 because of capacity limitations.
“It’s a top priority to do everything we can to lift the moratorium,” Lavelle said. “The best solution would be for us to get access to more natural gas supply to the city to be able to lift that.” But Lavelle told the committee he does not foresee an “imminent solution.”
“We have a moratorium because there isn’t enough gas supply to meet the demand on a peak winter day safely,” he said.
The current pipeline capacity is around 12,000 dekatherms a winter day, while HG&E’s system demands 20,000 dekatherms. The goal is to increase capacity by 5,000 dekatherms on peak days.
One dekatherm equals 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas, and is about what an average home uses on a cold winter day.
“The solution again is getting more capacity either in a pipeline or some other way,” Lavelle said. “You’re talking about 5,000 homes converting to electrification, which we’re pushing, but it’s going to take a long time to get that number.”
Lavelle said HG&E will look at energy conversation and efficiency upgrades for commercial users, including municipal buildings, as a way to reduce natural gas demand.
An earlier deal with Columbia Gas that would have increased the diameter of the main pipeline, increasing the city’s natural gas supply, fell through.
Eversource recently bought Columbia Gas. But Lavelle said it remains “occupied” with its Greater Springfield Reliability Project, a proposal to construct new infrastructure off the Tennessee Gas Pipeline in Longmeadow and route it into Springfield.
“It’s a very difficult permitting process as well,” he said. “They are fully committing their resources right now to getting it done before they can take on any additional work.”
Besides Holyoke’s one-mile pipeline that skirts West Holyoke, Lavelle added that segments in Agawam and West Springfield are affected by any expansion effort. A second supply route called the Northampton Lateral is owned by Tennessee Natural Gas.
Lavelle added that expanding the Northampton Lateral, with Holyoke footing the bill, was “cost-prohibitive.” A recent project estimate came in at $80 million.
“We’re going to continue to push the conservation, energy efficiency,” he said.
Since the moratorium’s start, Lavelle said, HG&E has denied 200 requests for new natural gas connections. “We lost some business opportunities that never knocked on our door,” Lavelle said. He said customers either stayed with oil or switched to propane, dirtier energy sources than natural gas.
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