What Blackouts? Californian Climate Fanatics Demand All Electric Homes

Guest essay by Eric Worrall

Because we all know how reliable Californian electricity is.

No more fire in the kitchen: Cities are banning natural gas in homes to save the planet
Elizabeth Weise
USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO – Fix global warming or cook dinner on a gas stove?
That’s the choice for people in 13 cities and one county in California that have enacted new zoning codes encouraging or requiring all-electric new construction.  

The codes, most of them passed since June, are meant to keep builders from running natural gas lines to new homes and apartments, with an eye toward creating fewer legacy gas hookups as the nation shifts to carbon-neutral energy sources.

For proponents, it’s a change that must be made to fight climate change. For natural gas companies, it’s a threat to their existence. And for some cooks who love to prepare food with flame, it’s an unthinkable loss.

Natural gas is a fossil fuel, mostly methane, and produces 33% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas causing climate change.

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Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/11/10/climate-change-solutions-more-cities-banning-natural-gas-homes/4008346002/

When my family lived in a blackout prone area, home gas appliances were a life saver; they meant we could still prepare warm food and drink, or heat the house, even when the power was out. Some gas appliances need electricity to function, but not all.

Given California’s failure in recent months to provide a reliable electricity supply, this insensitive push for all electric houses demonstrates an utter disregard for the safety and convenience of ordinary people.