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California homeowners already are being forced to pay the highest electric and water rates in the nation due to costly government mandates - but things are about to get a lot worse.
California Democrats are proposing to ban the use of any home appliances that use clean natural gas - and that includes a ban on everything from water and home heaters to pool heaters and even gas stoves. In fact, under the Democrats’ plan natural gas would be eventually shut off completely in every home and building in the state.
The cost of this intrusive mandate is staggering: $26,000-$31,000 per homeowner.
Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California, is leading the opposition to the costly new mandate.
“California homeowners are already struggling with sky-high cost-of-living and now Democrat politicians are shamefully trying to add to those burdens with an insane home retrofit mandate to eliminate all use of natural gas,” DeMaio laments.
DeMaio says the $26,000-31,000 cost estimate per homeowner is “likely on the low-end of cost estimates.”
DeMaio explains that the retrofit costs are expected to skyrocket as the supply chain for electric appliance alternatives will result in massive shortages. DeMaio also says expect labor costs for electricians and other home renovation labor to skyrocket as well.
DeMaio warns that climate change concerns aren’t fueling the proposed mandate.
“Democrat politicians aren’t doing this mandate to save the planet from climate change - they are doing this mandate because they want to put a bunch of union electricians to work in the state and force homeowners to pay for local government permit fees,” DeMaio adds.
DeMaio also raises concerns about the state’s electricity grid’s ability to handle all-electric appliances in every building and home. “If you eliminate natural gas appliances then you will add to electricity demand - and California simply cannot produce all the energy needed with just wind or solar,” DeMaio warns.
The costs for gas and electric utilities are going up fast in California. This year, the state’s kWh energy rates went up more than 11 percent and natural gas went up 25 percent.
The mandate has been proposed at the state level and awaits action on its adoption. However, local Democrat politicians are already moving the mandate forward at the local levels of government.
In August the San Diego City Council adopted updates to the city’s Climate Action Plan. The effort seeks to bring the city to net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2035 through discouraging car usage and encouraging high urban density. The most shocking part of the plan, passed in an 8-0 vote, was the decision to eliminate natural gas hookups in all new construction — in favor of full electric outfits.
What’s worse, the plan also seeks to cut 90% of existing natural gas outfits in the city and convert them to fully electric — including residential homes. 65% of residential customers in San Diego Gas & Electric’s service territory have natural gas hookups.
DeMaio points to the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst’s report on the plan, which stated that the effort to convert buildings by 2035 would require “an enormous effort on the part of … citizens.” The IBA report cited a similar building electrification plan developed in San Jose, a comparable population size and building makeup to San Diego, that estimated that it would cost $26,000 to $31,000 to fully electrify one single-family home.
DeMaio and his organization Reform California are fighting back against the costly mandate to ban natural gas appliances by turning it into a campaign issue for the 2022 election.
“We need concerned homeowners to step up NOW before it is too late to help us stop these crazy new retrofit mandates,” DeMaio urged.
Join the Campaign: Stop the Natural Gas Ban
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