A new study published in Energy Policy reveals that gas leaks cost U.S. fire departments over $564 million in 2018.
This research, led by PSE Healthy Energy, is the first to estimate the financial impact of gas leaks on first responders.
In 2018 alone, New York City experienced 22,090 gas leak incidents, costing the city around $70 million.
“Nationwide, fire departments are spending nearly half a billion dollars to prevent gas leaks from turning into serious emergencies,” said Dr. Sebastian Rowland, a scientist at PSE Healthy Energy.
“Uncombusted gas leaks are preventable but take up significant time and resources that could be used for other emergencies.
For instance, the New York City Fire Department spends nearly 3% of their annual budget on gas leaks.”
The researchers analyzed 15 years of emergency response data for gas leak incidents and looked at the time and personnel required to respond.
They estimated the cost to fire departments and created a budget model for the top 20 cities with the most gas leak incidents.
Data was sourced from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and validated using data from the Boston and Philadelphia Fire Departments.
Between 2003 and 2018, there were 2.4 million gas leak incidents that required a fire department response. Twenty cities accounted for 19% of all gas leak incidents, with the median cost to respond to a single gas leak estimated at $2,600.
The study found that the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states experienced higher rates of gas leak incidents compared to other regions.
While gas leaks that ignite and cause fires are about 10 times more expensive per incident, non-igniting gas leaks are about 600 times more common and represent a much higher overall cost to fire departments each year.
“Between 2003 and 2018, the number of reported gas leak emergencies nearly quadrupled,” said PSE Healthy Energy Senior Scientist Dr. Drew Michanowicz.
“These leaks are a growing and often hidden cost to society that should be considered when designing future energy systems. Many cities could save significant costs and resources by transitioning away from widespread gas use and the hazards it poses.”
Nationally, only about 70% of fire departments report their data to NFIRS. This means the study’s cost estimates are likely lower than the actual total cost. The researchers note that while gas leak incidents are increasing, efforts to decarbonize natural gas infrastructure could reduce the cost burden on first responders in the future.
They recommend that all jurisdictions improve coordination between utilities and first responders and take steps to reduce the overall number of gas leaks.
