Newton Panel Approves Gas Pipe Replacements, Holds Developer Request Pending Electric Switch

NEWTON -- July 16, 2025, Newton's Public Facilities Committee approved two National Grid gas main replacement projects, held a third to give a developer time to consider going all-electric, and unanimously confirmed a former National Grid vice president to the city's Energy Commission. Councilor Alicia Derry voted against both approvals, citing the absence of a citywide decarbonization plan and calling the replaced pipes stranded assets. Chair Susan Albright disclosed she had personally contacted the developer behind the Dunton East project after discovering a pending National Grid application for new gas service on Kemp Place, and then reached out to Eversource to accelerate an electrification feasibility review; that item was held to the committee's July 28 meeting. The committee also split a third application covering Grove Street and two dead-end segments, approving the through-street portion 4-2 while holding the Colgate Road and Hagar Street sections as candidates for a gas-abandonment pilot, a move that resident monitor Peter Barer estimated could save ratepayers between $360,000 and $550,000. Committee members were told that Newton must identify dead-end streets for abandonment by mid-September for them to be included in National Grid's 2026 Gas Enhancement Program plan and qualify for electrification funding.