20-80 NPA Stakeholder Website

20-80 NPA Stakeholder Website20-80 NPA Stakeholder Website20-80 NPA Stakeholder Website

About

 The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities’ (DPU), through its order in D.P.U. 20-80, requested that the natural gas distribution companies (also known as local distribution companies (LDCs)) engage with stakeholders to develop a Non-Pipes Alternative (“NPA”) framework.  


The LDCs want to gather input from a wide range of people with different viewpoints to ensure the NPA framework meets customer needs while maintaining safety and reliability as the gas system changes. The companies have hired a team of consultants (E3, Apex, and Efficiency for Everyone) to lead the stakeholder input process. There are multiple ways for interested individuals and organizations to participate (outlined in the figure and described below). 


The purpose of this website is to share information on the NPA stakeholder process, including background information, public notices, NPA Working Group meeting materials, and written comments from the public and group members.  

NPA Working Group. This group will consist of approximately 30 selected stakeholders who will meet monthly from October 2024 to March 2025. The goal is to collect diverse perspectives to help shape a comprehensive NPA framework. A Technical Subcommittee will also review the framework in detail, with a focus on methodological approaches and assumptions.  More information about the NPA Working Group is provided below.      


Community Focus Group. This group will examine the potential impacts of NPAs on communities in Massachusetts, with an emphasis on historically overburdened and marginalized populations. The 15-member focus group will seek to gain feedback from community members about how alternatives to natural gas infrastructure will impact their families, businesses, and communities. It will also identify considerations that enable the equitable distribution of anticipated costs and benefits from NPAs. The feedback from this group of stakeholders will help the LDCs refine their NPA framework. The Community Focus Group will meet approximately six times between November 2024 and March 2025.


Public Engagement: Individuals and organizations that would like to stay informed and provide input without joining a standing group have several options: signing up to receive email updates about the NPA stakeholder process, attending live listening sessions, and utilizing this website to review materials and/or submit public comments.

Apply to be on our groups!

Working Group Application Announcement [link]

Working Group Application [window closed]


Community Focus Group Application Announcement [link]

Community Focus Group Application [window closed]


Interested in updates from the NPA stakeholder process? Fill out the "Contact Us" form below with your contact information or email us at npaworkinggroup@apexanalyticsllc.com

Public Listening Session Opportunities

 On Thursday November 14th and Monday November 18th there were two virtual Public Listening Sessions held to provide a brief overview of NPAs and the DPU 20-80 order related to them. There was a daytime and evening option to provide flexibility with schedules, and live caption translation was available.  The recordings of those sessions are linked below, and presentation is linked [HERE].


Notice of the dates and registration were distributed through the NPA Distribution List, and posted below. The emailed announcement is linked below, with translations in Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish:


Public Listening Session Announcement (English)

公众听证会公告 (Chinese) Public Listening Session Announcement

Anúncio de sessão pública de escuta (Portuguese) Public Listening Session Announcement

Anuncio de la sesión pública de escucha (Spanish) Public Listening Session Announcement


Daytime Listening Session (virtual): Thursday November 14, 12PM – 1:30PM

[CLICK HERE] for Daytime Listening Session Recording

Evening Listening Session (virtual): Monday November 18, 6 – 7PM

[CLICK HERE] for Evening Listening Session Recording

NPA Working Group Meeting Materials

 The NPA Working Group is designed to ensure balanced representation, transparent communication, and effective stakeholder engagement to provide meaningful input to the LDCs regarding the development of an NPA framework.  The group seeks to gather diverse perspectives and inputs that will inform a comprehensive NPA framework that considers the needs and concerns of stakeholders as the natural gas system evolves. This framework will be critical in helping the LDCs make capital allocation decisions related to future investments in the gas system.   

20-80 NPA Working Group Application Announcement (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA Working Group Member Selection Announcement (pdf)Download
MA 20-80 NPA Working Group Meeting 10-16-24 Overview and NPA 101 (pdf)Download
MA 20-80 NPA Working Group Meeting 10-16-24 Gas 101 (Additional maps to be added) (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_October 16 2024 (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA Working Group Charter (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_November 6 2024 (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA Framework Elements Presentation 11-06-24 (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA WG Meeting Overview & Discussion Presentatiohttps://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/abf00124-5f5f (pdf)Download
12_4_2024 NPA WG Stakeholder Presentation_Groundwork Data (pdf)Download
12_4_2024 NPA WG Presentation_HEET (pdf)Download
12_4_24 NPA WG Presentation_DOER (pdf)Download
12_4_2024 NPA WG Presentation_CEG_CLF EDF Sierra Club (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_December 4 2024 (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting #3_Welcome (pdf)Download

NPA Working Group Materials (cont.)

NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_January 15 2025 (pdf)Download
MA 20-80 NPA Working Group Meeting 1-15-25 (pdf)Download
January 15 2025 NPA Framework (pdf)Download
MA NPA Working Group Meeting_Framework Feedback_February 5 2025 (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_February 5 2025 (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting Minutes_March 5 2025 (pdf)Download
NPA Working Group Meeting Presentation_ March 5 2025 (pdf)Download

Technical Subcommittee Materials

Summary of NPA TSC Session 5 (pdf)Download
Summary of NPA TSC Session 4 (pdf)Download
Summary of NPA TSC Session 3 (pdf)Download
Summary of NPA TSC Session 2 (pdf)Download
Summary of NPA TSC Session 1 (pdf)Download
TSC Meeting 1_Slides 11.18.2024 (pdf)Download
TSC Meeting 2_ Slides 12.17.2024 (pdf)Download
TSC Meeting 3_Slides 1.22.2025 (pdf)Download
TSC Meeting 4_Slides 2.11.2025 (pdf)Download
TSC Meeting 5_Slides 11_March 2025 (pdf)Download

Community Focus Group Materials

20-80 NPA Community Focus Group Application Announcement (pdf)Download
20-80 NPA Community Focus Group Application Announcement_update (pdf)Download

Written Comments on NPA Framework

Members of the Working Group and Technical Subcommittee submitted comments on the NPA Framework LDCs presented at the January 15th Working Group meeting. The organizations and corresponding file names of comments received are listed below:


  •  Acadia Center: AC1_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments   Template_AcadiaCenter_1_27_25  
  •  Acadia Center: AC2_Acadia_Center_NPA_DraftFramework_Comments_1_27_25   
  • Advanced Energy United: AEU_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - Advanced Energy United   
  • Attorney General's Office: AGO_NPA Comments - AGO (final)   
  • Arise Springfield: AS_NPA Framework Arise Comments   
  • Boston University: BU_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments BU Comments   
  • CLF, EDF, Sierra Club: CLF-EDF-SC_2025.01.29 CLF EDF Sierra Club NPA Framework Stakeholder   Comments   
  • DOER: DOER_DOER NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments   
  • Groundwork Data: GD_Groundwork Data NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments 1.29.25   
  • Green Energy Consumers Alliance: GECA_NPA Comments   
  • HEET: HEET_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments   
  • HEETlabs: HL_HEETlabs NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments   
  • National Consumer Law Center: NCLC_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - NCLC Jan 2025   
  • RMI: RMI_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - RMI   
  • United Steel Workers USW_NPA 1-29-25 Framework Stakeholder Comments_United Steel Workers Union   
  • Utility Workers Union of America Local  369 and the Brotherhood of Utilities Council: UWUA_NPA framework Comments 1-29-2025_UWUA Local 369    

AC1_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments Template_AcadiaCenter_1_27_25 (docx)Download
AC2_Acadia_Center_NPA_DraftFramework_Comments_1_27_25 (pdf)Download
AEU_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - Advanced Energy United (docx)Download
AGO_NPA Comments - AGO (final) (pdf)Download
AS_NPA Framework Arise Comments (pdf)Download
BU_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments BU Comments (docx)Download
CLF-EDF-SC_2025.01.29 CLF EDF Sierra Club NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments (pdf)Download
DOER_DOER NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments (pdf)Download
GD_Groundwork Data NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments 1.29.25 (docx)Download
GECA_NPA Comments (pdf)Download
HEET_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments (docx)Download
HL_HEETlabs NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments (docx)Download

Written Comments on NPA Framework (cont.)

NCLC_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - NCLC Jan 2025 (docx)Download
RMI_NPA Framework Stakeholder Comments - RMI (pdf)Download
USW_NPA 1-29-25 Framework Stakeholder Comments_United Steel Workers Union (docx)Download
UWUA_NPA framework Comments 1-29-2025_UWUA Local 369 (pdf)Download
NPA Framework_Stakeholder Comment Matrix_March 2025 (xlsx)Download

Written Comments During Stakeholder Process

If you wish to submit a public comment, please use the "Contact Us" form at the bottom of this page. Written comments from group members and the public will be uploaded on a regular basis.

20-80GWDLineExtensionComment071024 (pdf)Download

Other resources

DPU 20-80-B Order 12.6.23 (pdf)Download

Contact Us

If you wish to submit a public comment or be added to the email listserv for updates, please use the below form or email us at npaworkinggroup@apexanalyticsllc.com

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