RAND Report on Decommissioning Natural Gas Infrastructure

“How to Select Strategic Pilot Sites to Decommission Portions of Natural Gas Infrastructure in Southern California” is a working report published by RAND.

Takeaways:

• When decision-makers prioritize community priorities, it is extremely likely that pilot projects chosen for strategic decommissioning will cost money to implement and result in higher utility bills.

• Using an analytical framework can help identify locations in highly urban Southern California where natural gas decommissioning for service replacement with electrification can occur in a just, equitable, and cost-effective way.

• The research suggests that California may wish to adopt a three-step process as guidelines for decommissioning in Southern California:

  • 1) define project scope

  • 2) achieve buy-in from all stakeholders

  • 3) conduct appropriate analyses.

  • Following the spirit of these guidelines will help decision-makers achieve a just energy transition.

Read the full paper here.

Source: https://www.rand.org/