Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Natural Gas Long-term Capacity Second Supplemental Report?"
The Natural Gas Long-Term Capacity Second Supplemental Report highlights our commitment to achieving a Net Zero future, while ensuring a safer, more reliable, and cleaner energy future for all. First and foremost, we're determined to ensure that none of our customers are left behind as we transition to a Net Zero future. To help define our short and long-term energy needs, we've issued a second Long-Term Capacity Supplemental Report that provides an update on our Net Zero planning, our progress on targeted infrastructure solutions, future gas demand forecasting, and alternative solutions that will help support and meet our customers' energy needs. While it is our sincere privilege to provide energy to approximately 2 million New Yorkers, we are determined to work together to develop the right energy solutions that ensure our customers' short-term energy needs while we transition to the Net Zero energy future we all want.
Why is this Report necessary?
The Report addresses steps National Grid is taking to relieve constraints on our system to safely and reliably deliver natural gas to customers who need it to heat their homes and run their businesses, especially on the coldest days when customer demand is at its highest. Our planning is dictated by meeting customers' demand at its highest levels. When demand for gas at peak times exceeds our ability to access reliable gas supply, we describe the system as having constraints. National Grid is determined to do everything possible to ensure safe and reliable energy to the customers we serve to relieve those constraints. Traditionally, access to natural gas supply comes from interstate infrastructure that transports natural gas from where it's produced to our gas delivery system, supplemented by our ability to store natural gas as liquified natural gas (LNG) for when customers demand is highest. Our Report highlights a more distributed path we are taking to serve our customers.
Does National Grid currently have enough supply to heat my home or run my business?
Currently, yes. National Grid has sufficient capacity presently to serve all existing customers. In 2020, we implemented a series of short-term solutions to safely and reliably address natural gas capacity constraints in downstate New York over a two-year period. To meet what we forecast to be natural gas energy needs over the next several years, we believe it is critical to work together to develop solutions that will ensure we can safely and reliability address gas capacity constraints in downstate New York as we transition to a Net Zero carbon future.
Does the report consider the move toward a cleaner, more renewable energy future?
Yes. The gas demand forecast in the Report reflects the importance we place on the growth in energy efficiency and demand response programs as well as heat electrification. The Report also considers the potential impact of proposed actions, policy goals, and emerging trends that are expected to lower natural gas demand growth over the coming years. Again, we are committed to Net Zero as we transition to a sustainable energy future.
How is National Grid working to address future gas demand?
As the Report highlights, the targeted Distributed Infrastructure Solution we are pursuing relies heavily on energy efficiency and demand response programs to help offset gas demand growth. Moreover, the Distributed Infrastructure Solution addresses near-term reliability needs while providing the flexibility to right -size National Grid’s gas capacity portfolio over time as additional Net Zero policies and programs change the gas demand outlook
How is National Grid partnering to achieve climate goals?
Not only is National Grid committed to a Net Zero carbon future, we're also supportive of partnering with the state of New York to achieve its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) goals to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40% from 1990 levels by 2030 and to achieve Net Zero GHG emissions by 2050 (with emissions reduced by no less than 85%, and remaining emissions eligible to be offset to achieve the net zero goal).
How important is customer and stakeholder feedback?
The feedback of our customers and stakeholders is of the utmost importance. It's important that customers and stakeholders represent their interests and have a voice. We invite readers to provide feedback on this Report and the analysis and conclusions it contains. We also welcome creative ideas and innovative solutions to our market solicitations for both the supply-side and demand-side proposals described below.
What are the ways that customers and stakeholders can provide their input?
Feedback from customers and stakeholders is central to any decision related to solving for the long-term natural gas capacity challenge. The Company will host a virtual public meeting on July 14 with time devoted to hearing public comments. We will be taking written comments as well, with information on how to provide comments on our website: ngridsolutions.com.
We will also be collecting feedback through a survey. The survey is being conducted by National Grid and will close on July 30, 2021. Click here to take the survey.
The virtual meeting will provide the public and our customers with an opportunity to learn more about the process to develop the Report, review the Company's recommendations and ask questions. Attendees can then choose to provide feedback at the session through an oral comment or via written comments. Whether a customer or other stakeholder can attend the meeting or not, there will be equal opportunity to have your voice and opinion heard and reflected by accessing this website, reviewing the supporting materials and using one of the feedback options described on the website.
The report is over 100 pages and is very technical. Will the company have any other materials to help customers and stakeholders understand the issue?
Yes. We have developed a summary document and other materials to supplement the report. These support materials on the report are available at the virtual meeting and on the website at ngridsolutions.com.
Did National Grid explore any other long-term options besides those presented?
We're always exploring every option and looking for new ideas that are in the best interest of our customers and will ensure we meet our Net Zero goals while also providing safe and reliable energy to all. In addition to the options evaluated in the Original Report, Supplemental Report, and now this Report, we are looking externally to market innovators to uncover any additional options that can be deployed. To this end, we are soliciting ideas on both the non-traditional gas supply side and on the demand-side from a wide array of competitive and innovative technology and energy companies.
As part of this commitment, we have issued a request for information (RFI) for innovative supply-side options, expected to yield proposals related to renewable natural gas (RNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquified natural gas (LNG) options for consideration, and will be issuing our first Non Pipes Alternative request for proposals (RFP) later this year. We're also advancing new models for gas utility delivery of clean heating solutions and studying the potential for innovative new technologies on the demand side.
We welcome new ideas and innovative solutions in response to our RFIs, RFPs and this Report. We can fold new options identified via these market solicitations into the overall Distributed Infrastructure Solution as appropriate.
Are there other ways that customers can contribute to addressing the downstate New York gas capacity constraint?
Yes. To achieve a Net Zero future, and reduce our need for natural gas, we must work together to find the right solutions that will empower a smart transition to the clean energy future we all believe in. Since the gas capacity constraint is a result of gas demand growth outpacing the capacity to deliver gas to our customers during peak demand conditions, any reductions in peak gas demand lessen the gas capacity constraint. Whenever customers participate in gas energy efficiency programs, for example by installing more efficient gas heating equipment or insulating their homes, they help reduce the gas capacity constraint challenge.
Will there be more reports?
Yes. We will assess all of the feedback we receive on this Report and prepare a Third Supplemental Report, currently scheduled for release in late August 2021.