About this episode
The episode discusses the equitable phase-out of residential gas and the implications for utility companies and consumers.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe As affluent homeowners defect to heat pumps, the massive costs of maintaining America’s aging gas pipelines are being concentrated onto a shrinking base of customers who can afford it least. To understand how to prevent an impending utility death spiral, I talk with the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s Kristin George Bagdanov and Panama Bartholomy. We discuss the legal limits of a utility’s “obligation to serve,” the potential for gas companies to transition into geothermal thermal energy networks, and why the US has suddenly become the global leader in heat pump sales.
People in this episode
Host: David Roberts
Guests: Kristin George Bagdanov, Panama Bartholomy
Topics covered
- residential gas phase-out
- heat pumps
- utility death spiral
- geothermal energy
- energy transition
Keywords
- residential gas
- heat pumps
- utility costs
- energy transition
- geothermal networks
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Building Decarbonization Coalition
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