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On April 20, APGA submitted written testimony opposing the California Assembly’s Bill 3232 (AB 3232). AB 3232 requires the state’s public utility commission (PUC) to develop a plan to achieve the goal of reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases by the state’s residential and commercial building stock by at least 40 percent below the 1990 levels by January 1, 2030. This bill is clearly intended to severely limit the direct use of natural gas in homes and business.

The bill is counter-intuitive and simply will not achieve its stated purpose because forced switching to electric options in buildings and homes will increase the state’s carbon emissions. Moreover, eliminating natural gas use in homes and commercial buildings will lead to a less reliable and secure energy system that costs Californians much more than most can afford. If the intent of this bill is to reduce residential and nonresidential buildings’ emissions, then the Assembly should consider legislation that maximizes the use of natural gas in these buildings.

The legislation is based on the belief that buildings contribute 25 percent of all emissions of greenhouse gases from California. Using the latest data from the Energy Information Administration, APGA contradicted that assumption. The total carbon emissions from natural gas used in the residential and commercial sectors combined was well below the carbon emissions from the electric sector,which does not include California’s significant imported electricity). More importantly, total carbon emissions from residential homes and commercial buildings only accounts for 12 percent of California’s total carbon emissions, with the transportation sector accounting for 57 percent of total carbon emissions.

For questions on this article, please contact Dan Lapato of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at dlapato@apga.org.