INSIGHTSSERIES
Fossil Fuels | Natural Gas
August 18, 2025
Utilities Face New Regulations as States Rethink Gas Planning
From ending gas line extension subsidies to designating decarbonization zones, states are proactively updating gas utility planning to align with long-term climate goals.
Across the U.S., state regulators are overhauling natural gas utility rules, ending subsidies for new connections and exploring pilot programs that transition neighborhoods to zero-emission energy, as they…Read the full report
Key Takeaways
- Maryland regulators have ended allowances for new natural gas line extensions, reducing stranded cost risks and aligning utility planning with the state’s decarbonization laws.
- The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has directed gas utilities to have new customers cover the full cost of connections unless no feasible alternatives exist, as part of the state’s push toward 2050 climate goals.
- The New York legislature has passed a bill, which would repeal a 40-year-old law that prohibited utility companies from charging individual customers for the cost of new gas service as long as it was within 100 feet of an existing gas line.
