Improving gas system is an investment in public safety and health

The recent commentary by the Maryland People’s Counsel missed the mark by implying natural gas customers should not have to pay the cost of improving natural gas delivery systems, arguing that those delivery systems will eventually become obsolete as we shift from gas to electricity to meet climate goals (“Unnecessary gas investments set to raise rates; Maryland regulator must intervene,” Feb. 10).

Reducing natural gas leaks is one of the most important things that can be done right now to reduce pollution that is causing climate change. Furthermore, gas leaks are dangerous.

You don’t have to look very far back in The Sun’s archives to find out that “Baltimore’s natural gas system is increasingly leaky, raising concerns about safety and global warming” (Sept. 18, 2019). BGE’s website lists the neighborhoods where investments replacing old gas distribution pipes with new ones is enhancing safety and reliability.

As President Biden confirmed in his State of the Union Address, “We have an obligation, not to ourselves, but to our children and our grandchildren to confront [the climate crisis]. I’m proud of how America at last is stepping up to the challenge. We’re still going to need oil and gas for a while.”

Yes, fixing leaky natural gas distribution lines will increase the cost of natural gas, but subsidizing this increase would only hide the real cost of continuing to use fossil fuels. A better use of subsidies would be to help individuals shift away from burning fossil fuels.

Improving our natural gas distribution system is a necessary investment in safety and public health.

— Susan Wierman, Towson