Article 92 Hanlon Main Motion¶
Arlington Town Meeting — Main Motion
ARTICLE NO. 92 Dated: May 4, 2026
I, Patrick Hanlon, do hereby submit the following Main Motion under Article 92:
Voted:
A Resolution In Support of Transitioning to Clean Heat in Massachusetts
WHEREAS:
1. Massachusetts has a mandate to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
2. Buildings are responsible for over one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the state and to achieve
net zero we need to drastically reduce the burning of fossil fuels, including oil, propane, and natural gas.
3. The Town of Arlington is committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, has
adopted a Net Zero Action Plan, and is committed to moving off fossil fuels and doing so in a fair and
equitable manner.
4. The energy transition requires a strategic plan to retire the natural gas distribution system and replace it
with low- to no-emissions energy sources.
5. Most of the gas pipes in Arlington are aged and leak-prone, and methane (the primary component of
natural gas) is a potent greenhouse gas.
6. Under the current Massachusetts Gas System Enhancement Program (GSEP), gas utilities will spend
billions of ratepayer dollars to install new replacement gas pipes.
7. Under the GSEP, ratepayers would be required to pay off the cost of replacement pipes for decades,
long after they have been retired (also known as “stranded costs”), increasing gas bills and wasting
resources that are needed for the transition to cleaner energy sources.
8. Leak repair of gas pipes is effective at controlling leaks and less expensive than installing new pipes.
9. Neighborhood electrification is a coordinated, street-by-street transition of homes and businesses from
gas to electric, enabling the systematic retirement and removal of gas pipeline segments as each area
converts — rather than maintaining an expensive network indefinitely for a dwindling number of
customers.
10. Without a neighborhood electrification plan, higher-income households will be more likely to
electrify, leaving a smaller number of predominantly lower-income households to shoulder the financial
burden of paying for the entire gas pipeline system, thus resulting in higher bills and a less equitable
system.
11. The Town’s Electrify Arlington program is available to provide information and assistance to
Arlington residents, rental property owners, and businesses.
12. Arlington has numerous segments of gas pipes that could be, as part of a long-term integrated energy
plan, safely retired via neighborhood electrification and removed from the gas pipeline system, including
but not limited to segments identified by National Grid, as required by the Department of Public Utilities,
as possible locations for “Non-Pipeline Alternatives”.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
A. That the Arlington Town Meeting supports the creation of a strategic plan for the neighborhood-by-
neighborhood transition from fossil fuels to clean heat and other electric appliances, including by either
individual heat pumps or shared thermal energy infrastructure such as networked geothermal systems;
B. That the Arlington Town Meeting requests that National Grid, Eversource, and the Department of
Public Utilities actively participate in a planning process with the Town for a phased transition off natural
gas to clean electrical and thermal energy, with minimized cost and disruption and with equity and
affordability for all;
C. That the Arlington Town Meeting supports a transition that includes:
● Using leak repairs where appropriate, prioritizing the largest volume leaks, to reduce or
eliminate leaks until a pipe can be retired,
● Retiring gas pipes by street segment or neighborhood, prioritizing leak-prone pipes, after
moving customers to electric appliances and air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, or
networked geothermal systems;
D. That the Clerk of the Town of Arlington send a copy of this resolution to the Governor Maura Healey,
Senate President Karen E. Spilka, House Speaker Ronald Mariano, each member of the legislative
delegation for the Town of Arlington (Sen. Cindy Friedman, Rep. Sean Garballey, and Rep. David
Rogers), the National Grid and Eversource customer representatives to Arlington, Energy and
Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, and DPU Chair Jeremy McDiarmid.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Patrick M. Hanlon, Precinct 5
Date Voted: ____________
Action Taken: __________
