In July, the City of Berkeley, Calif., voted to ban the use of natural gas in newly constructed homes and buildings beginning in 2020. APGA sent out a press statement expressing disappointment regarding the action taken by Berkeley. Since that time, news reports have indicated that several other cities, including San Jose and Seattle, are considering taking similar action within their city councils. In response to this, APGA sent out the following statement to the press:
“We are saddened and disappointed that several city councils are considering action to ban the use of natural gas in newly constructed homes and buildings beginning in 2020. Unfortunately, across the country, there is a growing effort to move communities to a single source all-electric model, eliminating clean, resilient natural gas. These ‘all eggs in one basket’ policy proposals are shortsighted, untested and eliminate the ability for consumers to decide what is best for their families.
“Local governments should stand up and speak out against these irresponsible policies that would do little for the environment and lead to irreparable harm for consumers. Smart energy policies should be solutions oriented and include ways to reduce energy consumption by utilizing current energy infrastructure in the most efficient way and planning for our energy future in a way that protects consumer options. Natural gas has always been, and should always be, part of the solution to address energy efficiency goals in an impactful way. We all want the best environment possible, and APGA believes there is a better way to achieve that without sacrificing consumer choice.”
APGA’s Direct Use Task Group continues to be focused on preserving and protecting the direct use of natural gas for consumers. The group met in August and will meet again in November. For questions on this article, please contact Dave Schryver of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-2742 or by email at
dschryver@apga.org.