Friday, January 23, 2015

Into Thin Air:  Boston Pipes Leak $90 Million in Fuel Yearly - Study

Scientists have reported finding methane concentrations reflecting 3,356 leaks in the natural gas distribution system in Boston. This illustration shows spikes in methane levels in parts per million (ppm). The background level is 2.07 ppm. (Credit: Environmental Pollution) Click to Enlarge.
Boston's aging pipeline network leaks about $90 million worth of natural gas each year, marking a sizeable financial loss and a threat to the environment, according to a study released on Thursday by Harvard researchers.

The findings come as state energy officials struggle with a regional infrastructure shortfall that has left Massachusetts tight on winter heating fuel supplies during harsh cold snaps over the past three years.

"Some 2.7 percent of the gas that is brought to the Boston region never makes it to customers, it escapes into the atmosphere," according to the study, which will be published Thursday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Read more at Into Thin Air:  Boston Pipes Leak $90 Million in Fuel Yearly - Study

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