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 By Mayor Katjana Ballantyne

A few years ago, a resident approached me for help electrifying their condo building, but they hit a major roadblock: costs. In addition to behind-the-meter upgrades, they were surprised to learn they needed to install a costly transformer, one not covered by their electric provider.

Transformers are part of our shared power grid, so it’s understandable they were shocked to learn they, not the utility, had to pay. Unable to make that investment, their hopes to go electric were dashed.

Knowing others face the same challenge, we asked: What will it take to electrify everything? Electrification is key to reducing emissions. It improves building efficiency, replaces fossil fuels, and upgrades the grid to clean energy.

Eversource estimated Somerville will need to double the number of grid components now in place. But we still needed answers about how to electrify thousands of homes and vehicles. So, we commissioned a first-of-its-kind study with Buro Happold to explore transformer costs, potential solutions, and the role of geothermal networks in the energy transition.

The results are clear: Somerville has a gap in the grid. Buildings with roughly three or more housing units installing heat pumps or EV chargers often need a transformer upgrade, costing $10,000 to $100,000 or more. Unless the utility deems it a system benefit, property owners bear the full cost, doubling project expenses.

Even when owners can pay, transformers are large, and Somerville is dense. Our study found pole-mounted transformers could be the most efficient option, saving space and averaging $41,400 shared across 12–18 units.

Somerville’s study is the first to examine the street-level economics of the energy transition. We released it publicly to shed light on this growing barrier.

We must bridge this gap to reach our carbon net-negative goal by 2050 and protect public health. Affordable housing developers faced with these costs often stick with gas, perpetuating environmental injustices in communities already at higher risk of asthma and COPD.

Yet state funding rarely considers utility upgrade costs as a qualified resiliency expense. In a city of aging housing stock, decarbonization and resiliency must go hand in hand.

Transformers are essential to both immediate and long-term goals, enabling today’s electric upgrades and paving the way for geothermal networks that will one day power our homes.

Massachusetts can lead by ensuring multifamily homes aren’t left behind. In Somerville, we’re already exploring shared transformer zoning, group-buy models to lower costs, and networked geothermal systems that could reduce our electric load altogether.

This is a solvable problem if we stay curious, collaborative, and committed to equitable progress.

Editor’s note: Next week, Mayor Ballantyne will share an op-ed on geothermal energy as a powerful and equitable solution for Somerville’s future.