On June 11, APGA submitted comments to the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) on their Green Book. The draft Green Book is looking at California’s electric grid and the future of their electric markets under the purview of customer choice. APGA is very concerned with one of the fundamental questions raised in the draft Green Book, which is, “What is needed (to) reduce the use of fossil fuels such as natural gas, which is used not just for electric power, but also for industry and in homes and buildings?” To APGA, the concept of looking for ways to reduce or eliminate one of the most fundamental and popular energy resources from a home or business runs completely counter to the purpose of the paper which is intended to focus on protecting and evolving California Customer Choice.
Our comments highlight the point that “choosing clean energy sources” should not lead to abandoning natural gas appliances. Instead, pursuing clean energy should include looking for ways to reduce energy consumption, utilizing the current energy infrastructure in the most efficient way and planning for our energy future in a way that protects consumer options, balances their energy needs, and ultimately ensures our energy infrastructure is secure and economical for future generations.
History shows that “one-size-fits-all” policies have failed. As energy providers, we do not believe in limiting what energy source consumers choose to heat their home, power their TV or drive to work. Ultimately, consumers are in the best position to choose what energy type is best for them. Policies that reduce American consumers’ choices will cost them today, tomorrow and in 2050.
We urged policymakers in California to promulgate and promote initiatives that acknowledge the substantial energy system reliability/resiliency benefits afforded to consumers and society through natural gas end use.
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.