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Shutting Off The Gas: Berkeley Bans Natural Gas in New Buildings
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.
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.
“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.
Shutting Off The Gas: Berkeley Bans Natural Gas in New Buildings
Berkeley is the first city in the US to ban natural gas in new building construction. Is it the move of a lone radical, or a necessary step to combat climate change that other cities will follow?
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Actually the repsonsilility for providing/purchasing electricity in Berkeley goes to - East Bay Community Energy.
They currently do not purchase any nuclear from PG&Es Diablo plant.
Bob you said:
California's electricity carbon emissions rose 2% last year, to the dismay of renewables + gas enthusiasts. As the trend continues, more and more California legislators who bought in to the renewables fantasy will realize Diablo Canyon's operation will be essential to meeting its 2030 emissions goals.
Can you point us to your souce for this data? CARB only released the data for 2017 the other day - and that showed a continued drop in emissions. See chart (pg 9).
I am not disputing your 2% rise number - that seems possible - although - coal imports did drop another 3 TWh in 2018. Just wondering how you got the official 2018 data so early.
Also - can you point us to the source of data for your comment :
As the trend continues
By this, I am assuming that you mean CO2 is rising in CA through the first half of 2019. What is your source for this data?
Thanks for 2018 reference.
Unclear what Rhodium Group - quoted in your article - uses in its calculation for CA emissions... looks like it could be CAISO numbers. The numbers match.
From Rhodium:
Last year’s 2 percent increase in electricity-sector emissions comes after a 9 percent decline in 2017 and a 13 percent decline in 2016.
- 2016: - 12.5%
- 2017: - 8.8%
- 2018: + 2.0%
To see trend so far in 2019 here are CAISO numbers thru Jun:
Down 8.2% YTD. Back on track.
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