Bay Area Cities Poised to Follow Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ban

San Francisco is also set to consider legislation that would ban natural gas in new municipal buildings, of which there are few.

SEATTLE (Oil Monster):  Last month, Berkeley became the first U.S. city to ban the installation of natural gas lines in new residential buildings.

It probably won’t be the last — especially in the eco-conscious Bay Area.

San Jose, Santa Rosa and Petaluma are among the cities looking into phasing out natural gas in some new buildings as a means of meeting climate goals. Heating and appliances like dryers and ranges would have to run on electricity instead.

San Francisco is also set to consider legislation that would ban natural gas in new municipal buildings, of which there are few. Supervisor Vallie Brown plans to introduce the measure in September.

“My legislation will be the latest step, not the last step, to address natural gas,” Brown said in a statement.

Juan Carlos Cancino, a legislative aide to Brown, said the city would probably consider requiring electricity in new construction “in a much wider space” within the next two or three years.

Critics say natural gas is a reliable source of electricity, and its use helps keep people’s energy costs down.

Courtesy: www.sfchronicle.com