“A peer-reviewed paper by HEET Director Dominic Nicholas and Salem State University Professor Marcos Luna, was released last week in the journal Energy Policy. Read our update here and coverage by WBUR here. Marcos and Nicholas examined over 26,000 utility-reported leaks in relation to demographic groups. Their findings show that low-income and communities of color, as well as renters, limited English-speaking households and adults with lower levels of education, have a higher density of gas leaks and that leak repairs are comparatively slower for these populations. The study did not investigate root causes of differential exposure to a higher density of gas leaks, so further research is needed to determine if these differences are a reflection of historic challenges such as red-lining, of current systemic biases, or both. Additional studies are also needed to determine whether these structural differences impact the health or safety of communities. HEET has mapped and analyzed the utility-reported locations of gas leaks since 2015. We continue our work on the Shared Action Plan, an agreement where utilities prioritize finding and fixing the largest gas leaks. Each year, HEET verifies this work and makes recommendations. We are excited to see improvements each year and progress towards cutting methane emissions from distribution gas pipes fast…” [h/t Jacqueline Royce]