Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc. became the first large-scale utility to join Rewiring America's CEOs for Electrification coalition, which focuses on "electrifying everything."

Con Edison President Matthew Ketschke will be the company's representative to the group, the organizations said in an Oct. 6 news release. The move is the latest in a series of commitments by Con Edison to reduce the role of natural gas in its New York City and upstate multi-utility operations.

"Con Edison takes a comprehensive approach to decarbonization," Ketschke said in the release. "We look forward to amplifying our efforts through this coalition so that together we can achieve our clean energy goals in New York and across the country."

Con Edison's business encompasses 3.3 million electric utility customers and 1.1 million gas distribution customers. Throughout the building gas ban movement, gas utility operators have typically championed decarbonizing distribution systems over electrification.

Members of CEOS for Electrification "pledge to make electrification core to their business" by actions that include advocating for electrification within their respective industries and policymaking venues. They also seek to invest in products, businesses and technologies that accelerate market transformations needed to drive electrification, with a focus on electrifying households.

The coalition includes leaders of dozens of small and midsize companies as well as representatives of industry titans including Siemens AG, Mitsubishi Corp., Lyft Inc. and Schneider Electric SE.

Con Edison builds on past pledges, seeks role for gas system

Con Edison previously announced it will invest billions of dollars to achieve its goal of electrifying space and water heating in more than 150,000 buildings by 2030. The company has said it expects most of its gas customers to convert to electric heating systems in the coming decades and supports building code updates that reduce fossil fuel use.

Still, Con Edison has said it sees cost and resiliency benefits to maintaining a gas delivery system in New York City and upstate. It plans to incorporate renewable natural gas and low-carbon hydrogen into the gas grid to serve hard-to-electrify buildings and customers. Con Edison is also seeking to decarbonize its steam system — the country's largest district heating system — which serves 3 million customers in Manhattan.

Repairing and maintaining distribution systems is a crucial component of gas utility revenues, particularly for companies with aging assets in long-established Northeast cities. Con Edison consistently tops S&P Global Market Intelligence's annual list of companies most actively repairing gas leaks on its distribution system.

As part of a revamp of long-term gas system planning and in recent rate cases, state utility regulators have challenged gas distributors to meet future energy demand through nonpipeline alternatives, such as demand response and building electrification programs.

New York City has prohibited natural gas use in most new residential and commercial construction. The state has also considered the policy and is developing a plan to achieve its climate goals, which includes phasing out parts of the gas grid.

Con Edison's parent company, Consolidated Edison Inc., is refocusing on its core utilities business, having recently sold its renewable generation portfolio at a lofty price of $6.8 billion.

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