The city of Berkeley, California has been at the leading edge of sustainable, environmentally friendly and socially liberal, progressive policy reform since the modern environmental movement started. Now it's the first city in the US to ban natural gas connections in new buildings and homes, according to a local news report.Â
Charles Koch Institute almunus Daniel Turner sees the new law as just the latest in a long line of misdirected policy initiatives on the city's part.Â
“Berkeley’s new law hurts homeowners both by depriving them of freedom and by forcing them to use more expensive alternatives, notably electric stoves and heating,” Turner wrote in a Fox News Op-Ed titled “California’s Latest Descent Into Liberal Madness.”
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a different view. “This isn’t just about preventing climate change. It’s also about saving people money and improving indoor air quality,” the news report quoted Mark Specht, Energy Analyst for the Union.
Specht points out that a recent analysis that shows that new, all-electric homes end up saving homeowners money in comparison to new homes built with natural gas.” Sprecht also noted that nearly 27% of Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas use in buildings.Â