Another chunk of Kern County’s economy — natural gas production — has come under threat from California’s efforts to “decarbonize” buildings across the state as a way of helping achieve Sacramento’s greenhouse-gas reduction goals.
First went the plastic straws. Then, single-use plastic grocery bags. In Berkeley, Calif., restaurants will soon be required to offer only compostable packaging for patrons, and Styrofoam has been banned in the city since 1988.
Earlier this week, supporters (and some protesting opponents) of natural gas gathered at a conference in Riverside to discuss California’s move to become a zero-emission state, spurred by the 2018 signing of Senate Bill 1477, aimed at making California homes and businesses “near-zero emissions.”
First, California produces about 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Forcing people to switch to all-electric homes will have an insignificant effect on climate change but will cost billions of dollars to retrofit older homes and purchase electric appliances. There is no consideration of what the carbon footprint is for that change, because, let’s be honest, all those new appliances and changes have an impact.
More than a dozen San Gabriel Valley cities are pushing back on an effort that could ban the use of natural gas in residential and commercial buildings.
The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Energy Commission have been holding workshops throughout the state to discuss and gather public feedback over the implementation of Senate Bill 1477, which strives to reach near-zero emission homes. The move calls for an electric-only model.
Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions is a coalition of natural and renewable gas users. Our goal is to educate Californians about the importance of natural and renewable gas for improving the environment and providing for a strong economy. We support balanced energy policies that fight climate change while protecting energy choice, reliability, and affordability.
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Contact Us: info@C4BES.org | 777 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 4050, Los Angeles, CA 90017-5864
