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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer Laura Fraser was interested in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">climate change\u003c/a> but felt a sense of powerlessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the face of this enormous existential problem, what does recycling and riding a bicycle amount to?” Fraser said, sitting in her San Francisco apartment. “It just felt like nothing, just a drop in the ocean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a few years ago, she was hired to edit a book called \u003cem>Electrify\u003c/em>, by Saul Griffith. Working through it, she changed her perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The book points out that 42% of energy-related emissions in the U.S. come from our homes and the vehicles we drive. Its core argument is that swapping polluting appliances and cars for electric versions can meaningfully and quickly bring down emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t understand how much power they have in the climate crisis to cut down on the amount of carbon that they as individuals are creating with their cars, their stoves, their heaters,” Fraser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fraser and her husband, Peter Eckart, faced an obstacle: they are renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Copper induction stove in the kitchen of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart’s Haight-Ashbury apartment in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Renters comprise \u003ca href=\"https://census.bayareametro.gov/households?location=bay_area&year=2020\">46% of Bay Area households\u003c/a>, according to the 2020 Census. For homeowners, changing out gas water heaters, HVAC systems, stoves and cars is doable, albeit expensive. Owners have the decision power to rewire homes and upgrade electric panels, while renters cannot make such large and permanent changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent innovations, however, are giving renters the power to substantially cut the pollution from their day-to-day routines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning more about what’s called “electrification,” Fraser and her husband Peter Eckart looked around their Haight-Ashbury apartment, where Fraser’s lived for more than 40 years, with fresh eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Gradient plug-in heat pump window unit sits in a bedroom office space in the home of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They guessed the heating unit in front of the old living room fireplace was from the 1960s, and leaked gas, a hazard to both health and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser tested this by turning off the gas, disconnecting the pipe from the appliance and placing a balloon tightly around it. The balloon inflated, confirming their suspicions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their six-burner Wolf gas stove emitted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">gas when it was off, too\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Eckart lifts an ornate rug to show the Woo Warmer layer installed between the rug pad and the rug in his San Francisco home on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>First, the couple swapped out their heating and cooling. They installed a portable heat pump in a window, which plugged right into the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unit was free as Fraser and Eckart were beta testers. They also put a $200 “hot carpet” — basically an electric blanket — beneath a living room rug to create radiant heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For cooking, the couple splurged and installed a high-end induction stove for around $7,000. It plugs into a standard wall outlet. Fraser and Eckart chose this stove over a portable induction cooktop because they never plan to move out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001185\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001185\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bumper sticker reading “This is my last gas car” is displayed on a vehicle owned by Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001189\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Fraser enters the garage of near her Haight-Ashbury apartment building in San Francisco on May 18, 2026, where the household stores bicycles and other forms of transportation. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get around town, Fraser and Eckart take public transit and ride e-bikes. “We’ve had them for about five years and love them,” Fraser said. “I always say the best car for San Francisco is an e-bike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For longer trips, the couple hops into Fraser’s gas-powered 2005 Mini-Cooper, which sports a bumper sticker that reads, “This is my last gas car.” They’re not sure how they’ll charge an electric vehicle, as there is no outlet in the garage they rent across the street from their apartment, but that’s a challenge they’ll take on in time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Collectively, if we can make the switch to electricity, we will address the climate problem,” Fraser said. “That feels very empowering to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everything but the water heater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg live in a two-bedroom Mission apartment with their 5- and 1-year-old children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They switched nearly all of their gas-powered appliances to electric ones, except the water heater, which would require a substantial modification to the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are both motivated by climate change and work in clean energy and technology. But said they made these changes after reading about the \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">harmful health\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">effects\u003c/a> from burning gas indoors, particularly for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An air quality sensor at Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before switching appliances, they bought a $300 air quality \u003ca href=\"https://www.airthings.com/view-plus\">monitor\u003c/a>, which showed a spike in fine particulate matter and carbon dioxide when they used their gas wall furnace and stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Fraser and Eckart, they now use a window heat pump. But instead of replacing their gas stove, they’ve simply placed a $170, two-burner induction cooktop on its surface. They bake and roast food with a $130 small electric toaster oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many clothes dryers are powered by gas, theirs is nonexistent: They line dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Karina van Schaardenburg hangs laundry to dry alongside her son Isaac at their home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It took a little bit of getting used to,” van Schaardenburg said. They check the weather before hanging their wash. Their previous apartment had no washer and dryer at all, so “this actually just felt like an upgrade,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple has one e-bike and one Prius, which they use for kid drop-offs, grocery runs or other outings. They detach and charge their e-bike battery in their apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most California apartments have 40-100 amps of power available, Wexler and van Schaardenburg made all these changes on just 35 amps and two electrical circuits. Their setup works well, but with one limit: no microwaving while the induction burners are on high or a fuse blows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Window inserts to keep the home warm in Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s flat in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The couple also spent $1,500 to add customized, removable plexiglass to the front windows. The double panes block street noise and drafts from blowing in their 1899 Victorian apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although electricity is more expensive than gas in California, the couple spends slightly less on monthly utilities because they have been able to retire the inefficient space heaters they used to supplement their gas heating. They feel their investments have increased their comfort and keep their indoor air clean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, “everything that we have changed is completely reversible,” Wexler said. “When we move out, the apartment will be just as it was when we moved in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Bay Area renters are getting creative about swapping their gas appliances for electric ones, like heat pumps, solar panels and induction stoves.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>California is transitioning to clean energy. KQED is reporting on what that means for you. What works? What doesn’t? How much does it cost? Help us find these answers and more by \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"http://donate.kqed.org/sojo?ms=W2510EANXXXX22\">\u003cem>donating today\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer Laura Fraser was interested in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000695/california-is-transitioning-from-fossil-fuels-to-electric-power-its-going-to-get-messy\">climate change\u003c/a> but felt a sense of powerlessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the face of this enormous existential problem, what does recycling and riding a bicycle amount to?” Fraser said, sitting in her San Francisco apartment. “It just felt like nothing, just a drop in the ocean.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, a few years ago, she was hired to edit a book called \u003cem>Electrify\u003c/em>, by Saul Griffith. Working through it, she changed her perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The book points out that 42% of energy-related emissions in the U.S. come from our homes and the vehicles we drive. Its core argument is that swapping polluting appliances and cars for electric versions can meaningfully and quickly bring down emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People don’t understand how much power they have in the climate crisis to cut down on the amount of carbon that they as individuals are creating with their cars, their stoves, their heaters,” Fraser said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fraser and her husband, Peter Eckart, faced an obstacle: they are renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001148\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001148\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Copper induction stove in the kitchen of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart’s Haight-Ashbury apartment in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Renters comprise \u003ca href=\"https://census.bayareametro.gov/households?location=bay_area&year=2020\">46% of Bay Area households\u003c/a>, according to the 2020 Census. For homeowners, changing out gas water heaters, HVAC systems, stoves and cars is doable, albeit expensive. Owners have the decision power to rewire homes and upgrade electric panels, while renters cannot make such large and permanent changes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recent innovations, however, are giving renters the power to substantially cut the pollution from their day-to-day routines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After learning more about what’s called “electrification,” Fraser and her husband Peter Eckart looked around their Haight-Ashbury apartment, where Fraser’s lived for more than 40 years, with fresh eyes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001149\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001149\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Gradient plug-in heat pump window unit sits in a bedroom office space in the home of Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They guessed the heating unit in front of the old living room fireplace was from the 1960s, and leaked gas, a hazard to both health and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fraser tested this by turning off the gas, disconnecting the pipe from the appliance and placing a balloon tightly around it. The balloon inflated, confirming their suspicions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their six-burner Wolf gas stove emitted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1995336/heres-what-happened-when-scientists-tested-the-air-with-my-gas-stove-on\">gas when it was off, too\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001151\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001151\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826RENTERS-GOING-ELECTRIC-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peter Eckart lifts an ornate rug to show the Woo Warmer layer installed between the rug pad and the rug in his San Francisco home on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>First, the couple swapped out their heating and cooling. They installed a portable heat pump in a window, which plugged right into the wall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unit was free as Fraser and Eckart were beta testers. They also put a $200 “hot carpet” — basically an electric blanket — beneath a living room rug to create radiant heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For cooking, the couple splurged and installed a high-end induction stove for around $7,000. It plugs into a standard wall outlet. Fraser and Eckart chose this stove over a portable induction cooktop because they never plan to move out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001185\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001185\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_014_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A bumper sticker reading “This is my last gas car” is displayed on a vehicle owned by Laura Fraser and Peter Eckart in San Francisco on May 18, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001189\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/051826Renters-Going-Electric-_GH_011_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Laura Fraser enters the garage of near her Haight-Ashbury apartment building in San Francisco on May 18, 2026, where the household stores bicycles and other forms of transportation. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To get around town, Fraser and Eckart take public transit and ride e-bikes. “We’ve had them for about five years and love them,” Fraser said. “I always say the best car for San Francisco is an e-bike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For longer trips, the couple hops into Fraser’s gas-powered 2005 Mini-Cooper, which sports a bumper sticker that reads, “This is my last gas car.” They’re not sure how they’ll charge an electric vehicle, as there is no outlet in the garage they rent across the street from their apartment, but that’s a challenge they’ll take on in time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Collectively, if we can make the switch to electricity, we will address the climate problem,” Fraser said. “That feels very empowering to me.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Everything but the water heater\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg live in a two-bedroom Mission apartment with their 5- and 1-year-old children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They switched nearly all of their gas-powered appliances to electric ones, except the water heater, which would require a substantial modification to the apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are both motivated by climate change and work in clean energy and technology. But said they made these changes after reading about the \u003ca href=\"https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2025/12/gas-propane-stoves-nitrogen-dioxide-exposure-health-risks-switching-electric\">harmful health\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/12/pgaf341/8361964?login=false\">effects\u003c/a> from burning gas indoors, particularly for kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001154\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001154\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An air quality sensor at Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Before switching appliances, they bought a $300 air quality \u003ca href=\"https://www.airthings.com/view-plus\">monitor\u003c/a>, which showed a spike in fine particulate matter and carbon dioxide when they used their gas wall furnace and stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Fraser and Eckart, they now use a window heat pump. But instead of replacing their gas stove, they’ve simply placed a $170, two-burner induction cooktop on its surface. They bake and roast food with a $130 small electric toaster oven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While many clothes dryers are powered by gas, theirs is nonexistent: They line dry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001153\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001153\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Karina van Schaardenburg hangs laundry to dry alongside her son Isaac at their home in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It took a little bit of getting used to,” van Schaardenburg said. They check the weather before hanging their wash. Their previous apartment had no washer and dryer at all, so “this actually just felt like an upgrade,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple has one e-bike and one Prius, which they use for kid drop-offs, grocery runs or other outings. They detach and charge their e-bike battery in their apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While most California apartments have 40-100 amps of power available, Wexler and van Schaardenburg made all these changes on just 35 amps and two electrical circuits. Their setup works well, but with one limit: no microwaving while the induction burners are on high or a fuse blows.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_2001156\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2001156\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/06/20260531-RENTERSELECTRIFY-JY-06-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Window inserts to keep the home warm in Jason Wexler and Karina van Schaardenburg’s flat in San Francisco on Sunday, May 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The couple also spent $1,500 to add customized, removable plexiglass to the front windows. The double panes block street noise and drafts from blowing in their 1899 Victorian apartment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although electricity is more expensive than gas in California, the couple spends slightly less on monthly utilities because they have been able to retire the inefficient space heaters they used to supplement their gas heating. They feel their investments have increased their comfort and keep their indoor air clean.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, “everything that we have changed is completely reversible,” Wexler said. “When we move out, the apartment will be just as it was when we moved in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Is It Time for an Essential California Energy Code to Get a Climate Edit?",
"headTitle": "Is It Time for an Essential California Energy Code to Get a Climate Edit? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Reducing gas use in buildings is tricky for lots of reasons. One of them is a California public utility code that you’ve probably never given much thought to. It’s referred to as the “\u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/2022/code-puc/division-1/part-1/chapter-3/article-1/section-451/\">obligation to serve.\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California requires that its public utilities provide service — whether that’s gas or electricity — to every customer who wants it at rates regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crux of the code is only a few words: “Every public utility shall furnish and maintain such adequate, efficient, just, and reasonable service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"right\" citation=\"Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine)\"]‘It allows utilities, when reasonable, to phase out natural gas provision and switch over to all-electric when that makes economic sense when most of the residents want that.’[/pullquote]But it’s important because even if you live far from other homes, in a high-wildfire-risk area, for example, utilities must serve you, despite how much it will cost them. In turn, the state grants utilities a monopoly in a specific region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state races to cut greenhouse gas emissions from homes and commercial buildings, this code — born of good intention — has become a roadblock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the simple reason of the holdout, if nearly an entire neighborhood wants to go electric and swap their gas appliances for equivalent electric ones, but one person does not, utilities will maintain the entire gas line for this community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=\"science_1991664,science_1992085,forum_2010101894437\" label=\"Related Stories\"]That’s because utilities worry courts will interpret the obligation to serve to mean that they must offer both gas and electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/publications/removing-legal-barriers-to-building-electrification/\">Stanford legal scholars wrote, \u003c/a>“Precedent in California has not precisely outlined whether and how utilities can substitute electricity service for natural gas service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The obligation to serve] is a major impediment to electrification, or at least trying to do it in an orderly way that avoids unneeded new investments in gas pipelines,” Matt Vespa, senior attorney at Earthjustice, told KQED in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do we address this challenge?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The legislature probably needs to pass a law to clarify it,” said lawyer Michael Wara, Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford, “to create the kind of certainty that you’re going to need for companies to be okay abandoning [gas] infrastructure in the way that they’re going to have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1992352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 683px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1992352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of gas and oil pipelines by a small body of water and grassy landscape.\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg 683w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oil and gas pipelines run through the Delta near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers as viewed from the air on May 22, 2023, near Rio Vista. \u003ccite>(George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the past two years, Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) has introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1221\">legislation \u003c/a>to do just that. The bill he introduced last year started broadly but narrowed its scope as it went through the legislature and ultimately died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1221\">This year’s newly introduced bill\u003c/a>, in its current form, would add a specific line to the state’s public utility code saying that a gas corporation could “cease providing service if adequate substitute energy service is reasonably available” that would support the end use the customer wants, like heating or cooling their home or cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It phases out some of the regulatory obstacles of switching to all-electric,” Min said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This basically allows us to start shifting over,” Min said. “It allows utilities, when reasonable, to phase out natural gas provision and switch over to all-electric when that makes economic sense when most of the residents want that. But it addresses the holdout problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The background\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California homes and buildings are typically powered in two ways: by electricity and gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those systems are increasingly duplicative. Electric heat pumps can replace gas-powered space and water heaters. Electric clothes dryers can do the job of gas-powered ones. And electric and induction stoves, though wrapped up in the whirlwind of a culture war, are an alternative to their gas counterparts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/building-decarbonization\">A quarter of California’s carbon emissions come from homes\u003c/a>, businesses and the energy used to power them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the state moves towards its goal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/11/16/california-releases-worlds-first-plan-to-achieve-net-zero-carbon-pollution/\">carbon neutrality by 2045\u003c/a>, researchers and advocates are advising policymakers, regulators and utilities to facilitate significant reductions in the use of gas to power buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A haphazard approach to electrification will lead to higher gas bills… mostly for low-income people\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Building electrification is mostly happening disjointedly right now. It’s based on the desires and finances of building owners. There have been a few projects where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984963/electric-avenue-one-oakland-blocks-improbable-journey-to-ditch-gas\">communities have tried to ditch gas altogether\u003c/a>, but these efforts are nascent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more people electrify, fewer people use the gas system, which operates at a high, fixed cost that consumers pay. A high cost spread across fewer people means more enormous bills, largely for low-income people who rent or cannot afford to electrify their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One approach to managing costs for ratepayers on the gas system is to strategically retire gas lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If every other home in California is electrified, you would still have to have the same size gas system,” said Mike Florio, former CPUC Commissioner and current energy consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But if you can electrify an entire neighborhood or community, then those pipes can be retired and you shrink the system and lower the cost of the system,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each year, hundreds of miles of gas pipelines must be replaced for safety. And in some cases, it would be cheaper for the utility to pay the full cost of electrifying homes along that line rather than spend millions to replace it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sound like something that will never happen? PG&E has quietly executed more than a hundred of these projects since 2018. The idea is called “targeted electrification” and has been mostly limited to a small number of homes or businesses in rural locations at the end of long gas lines in need of repair. In most cases, it is cheaper for PG&E, and therefore their ratepayers, if the company pays to fully electrify customers on these lines and retire rather than replace them.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Reducing gas use in buildings is tricky for lots of reasons. One of them is a California public utility code that you’ve probably never given much thought to. It’s referred to as the “\u003ca href=\"https://law.justia.com/codes/california/2022/code-puc/division-1/part-1/chapter-3/article-1/section-451/\">obligation to serve.\u003c/a>”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California requires that its public utilities provide service — whether that’s gas or electricity — to every customer who wants it at rates regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The crux of the code is only a few words: “Every public utility shall furnish and maintain such adequate, efficient, just, and reasonable service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘It allows utilities, when reasonable, to phase out natural gas provision and switch over to all-electric when that makes economic sense when most of the residents want that.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But it’s important because even if you live far from other homes, in a high-wildfire-risk area, for example, utilities must serve you, despite how much it will cost them. In turn, the state grants utilities a monopoly in a specific region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state races to cut greenhouse gas emissions from homes and commercial buildings, this code — born of good intention — has become a roadblock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the simple reason of the holdout, if nearly an entire neighborhood wants to go electric and swap their gas appliances for equivalent electric ones, but one person does not, utilities will maintain the entire gas line for this community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That’s because utilities worry courts will interpret the obligation to serve to mean that they must offer both gas and electricity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://law.stanford.edu/publications/removing-legal-barriers-to-building-electrification/\">Stanford legal scholars wrote, \u003c/a>“Precedent in California has not precisely outlined whether and how utilities can substitute electricity service for natural gas service.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The obligation to serve] is a major impediment to electrification, or at least trying to do it in an orderly way that avoids unneeded new investments in gas pipelines,” Matt Vespa, senior attorney at Earthjustice, told KQED in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How do we address this challenge?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“The legislature probably needs to pass a law to clarify it,” said lawyer Michael Wara, Director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford, “to create the kind of certainty that you’re going to need for companies to be okay abandoning [gas] infrastructure in the way that they’re going to have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1992352\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 683px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1992352\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of gas and oil pipelines by a small body of water and grassy landscape.\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498.jpg 683w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2024/04/GettyImages-1495707498-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oil and gas pipelines run through the Delta near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers as viewed from the air on May 22, 2023, near Rio Vista. \u003ccite>(George Rose/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For the past two years, Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) has introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1221\">legislation \u003c/a>to do just that. The bill he introduced last year started broadly but narrowed its scope as it went through the legislature and ultimately died.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB1221\">This year’s newly introduced bill\u003c/a>, in its current form, would add a specific line to the state’s public utility code saying that a gas corporation could “cease providing service if adequate substitute energy service is reasonably available” that would support the end use the customer wants, like heating or cooling their home or cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It phases out some of the regulatory obstacles of switching to all-electric,” Min said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This basically allows us to start shifting over,” Min said. “It allows utilities, when reasonable, to phase out natural gas provision and switch over to all-electric when that makes economic sense when most of the residents want that. But it addresses the holdout problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The background\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California homes and buildings are typically powered in two ways: by electricity and gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those systems are increasingly duplicative. Electric heat pumps can replace gas-powered space and water heaters. Electric clothes dryers can do the job of gas-powered ones. And electric and induction stoves, though wrapped up in the whirlwind of a culture war, are an alternative to their gas counterparts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/building-decarbonization\">A quarter of California’s carbon emissions come from homes\u003c/a>, businesses and the energy used to power them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the state moves towards its goal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2022/11/16/california-releases-worlds-first-plan-to-achieve-net-zero-carbon-pollution/\">carbon neutrality by 2045\u003c/a>, researchers and advocates are advising policymakers, regulators and utilities to facilitate significant reductions in the use of gas to power buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A haphazard approach to electrification will lead to higher gas bills… mostly for low-income people\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Building electrification is mostly happening disjointedly right now. It’s based on the desires and finances of building owners. There have been a few projects where \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1984963/electric-avenue-one-oakland-blocks-improbable-journey-to-ditch-gas\">communities have tried to ditch gas altogether\u003c/a>, but these efforts are nascent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As more people electrify, fewer people use the gas system, which operates at a high, fixed cost that consumers pay. A high cost spread across fewer people means more enormous bills, largely for low-income people who rent or cannot afford to electrify their homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One approach to managing costs for ratepayers on the gas system is to strategically retire gas lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If every other home in California is electrified, you would still have to have the same size gas system,” said Mike Florio, former CPUC Commissioner and current energy consultant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But if you can electrify an entire neighborhood or community, then those pipes can be retired and you shrink the system and lower the cost of the system,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each year, hundreds of miles of gas pipelines must be replaced for safety. And in some cases, it would be cheaper for the utility to pay the full cost of electrifying homes along that line rather than spend millions to replace it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sound like something that will never happen? PG&E has quietly executed more than a hundred of these projects since 2018. The idea is called “targeted electrification” and has been mostly limited to a small number of homes or businesses in rural locations at the end of long gas lines in need of repair. In most cases, it is cheaper for PG&E, and therefore their ratepayers, if the company pays to fully electrify customers on these lines and retire rather than replace them.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/Neq_CwpkPvsGmMG7hVOy7A?domain=insideclimatenews.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pD-rCxklQwf1V61yTviMEq?domain=insideclimatenews.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can natural gas be part of a climate change solution?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That’s what the American Petroleum Institute argues in a \u003ca href=\"https://energyforprogress.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new campaign\u003c/a> it has launched ahead of this year’s elections, pushing back against some Democratic candidates who support bans on new development of oil and gas. The campaign echoes a refrain that supporters from both political parties have pushed for years: that gas is a cleaner fuel than coal and can serve as a bridge to a low-carbon future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The industry points to data showing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are at their \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07012020/infographic-united-states-emissions-2019-climate-change-greenhouse-gas-coal-transportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lowest level in decades\u003c/a>, as coal power generation has been replaced by gas, which produces about half the carbon dioxide emissions when burned, and by renewable energy sources like wind and solar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But experts agree that those official figures understate emissions of methane, the primary component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas released in leaks throughout the oil and gas development supply chain. And while there’s uncertainty about how much methane is leaking, several studies show that the benefits of the switch from coal to gas over the last decade are smaller than government data suggests, perhaps substantially smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many oil and gas companies have pledged to reduce their methane emissions. But beyond the methane leaks, emissions from new petrochemical plants and liquid natural gas export facilities in coming years, spurred by the gas boom, are set to surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With costs of renewable energy sources like wind and solar now competitive with natural gas, many experts who have studied the industry’s emissions say that even though the switch from coal to gas has likely provided some climate benefits, marginal as they may be, it’s harder to argue that it can continue doing so in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David Lyon, a scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, which has collaborated with the oil and gas industry in working on methane, said asking whether gas is better than coal may be the wrong question. “Compared to coal, I think there are a lot of advantages to natural gas,” he said. “But renewables have a lot more advantages.””Compared to coal, I think there are a lot of advantages to natural gas,” he said. “But renewables have a lot more advantages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jessika Trancik, an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society, who recently co-authored a study about the coal-to-gas switch, said continuing to rely on natural gas will grow increasingly difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It has served as a bridge,” she said. “But we’re kind of nearing the end of the bridge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Far Have Emissions Fallen?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Official EPA data says \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-2019-chapter-3-energy.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">methane emissions from the oil and gas industry\u003c/a> were down slightly from 2005 to 2017 and were down significantly from 1990 levels. Over the same period, oil and gas production has grown substantially, and the industry points to this as a sign of its efforts to limit emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Given the seriousness and risks of climate change, natural gas and oil operators are working harder than ever to capture as much methane as possible during production and transmission,” said Reid Porter, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet while EPA hasn’t published data for the past two years, other sources suggest methane emissions may be rising. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the industry’s venting and flaring—venting is the intentional release of methane to the atmosphere, while flaring burns the methane to emit carbon dioxide instead—\u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_prod_sum_a_EPG0_VGV_mmcf_a.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jumped by about 66 percent\u003c/a> in 2018. That doesn’t include unintended leaks from equipment. An \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/preliminary-us-emissions-2019/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analysis by the Rhodium Group\u003c/a> of more recent data found that the industry’s methane emissions were up last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the official numbers say, actual emissions are almost certainly far higher. Figuring out how much methane is leaking is critical for climate accounting: while methane remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter period than carbon dioxide, it traps far more heat while it’s there. Scientists say methane is responsible for about one-quarter of the warming the world has experienced so far. And the oil and gas sector appears to be a growing source of these emissions globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1956353 alignright\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"766\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529.png 529w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529-160x232.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\">\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6398/186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a study by scientists\u003c/a> with the Environmental Defense Fund and more than a dozen research institutions pulled together measurements taken around the country and estimated that the industry leaked about 2.3 percent of all the gas it produced in 2015. That’s about 60 percent more than EPA reported. Others have suggested the rate could more like 3 percent. Lyon, one of the study’s authors, said the scale of the leaks suggests the benefits of gas are much less than they appear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Probably the average national loss rate is low enough that there are immediate climate benefits of replacing coal with gas,” he said. “But it’s going to be close.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the biggest uncertainties comes from so-called “super-emitters”—a term that refers to uncommon events that release massive volumes of methane. Last year, Dutch scientists published research drawing on satellite data suggesting that one 2018 accident at an Ohio gas well \u003cb>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/climate/methane-leak-satellite.html\">l\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/climate/methane-leak-satellite.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eaked more methane\u003c/a> than the entire oil and gas industry of Norway does in a year. ExxonMobil, which operated the well through a subsidiary, said internal data had shown the volume of leaked gas was smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The American Petroleum Institute has also \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03032017/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency-methane-greenhouse-gas-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">supported\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29082019/methane-regulation-oil-gas-storage-pipelines-epa-rollback-trump-wheeler\">steps\u003c/a> by the Trump administration to weaken regulations enacted by the Obama administration to improve reporting and reduce leaks. Porter said other state and federal regulations already control methane emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the U.S., new evidence suggests natural gas use is \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03122019/fossil-fuel-emissions-2019-natural-gas-bridge-oil-coal-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">growing so fast globally\u003c/a> that the rise in carbon dioxide emissions from gas has eclipsed the decline in emissions from coal. And that’s not even counting methane leaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Looking Ahead\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if gas has provided a benefit so far, there’s growing evidence it’s becoming an increasingly bad bet for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Precisely how bad depends in part on how methane is compared with carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. Since methane traps more heat but breaks down much more quickly, scientists use a sliding scale to convert methane emissions into “carbon dioxide equivalents.” If you compare the two gases over the course of a century, methane is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If you look over a 20-year timeframe, methane is more than 80 times stronger. The EPA uses the 100-year conversion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What that does is it greatly discounts what methane can do for the decade or three that it’s in the atmosphere,” said Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology at Cornell University, speaking about the EPA’s approach. “I and others have been arguing we should use a shorter time frame, because we’re concerned about reaching tipping points in the climate system over the next one to two to three decades, and methane can drive us over those tipping points.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In December, Trancik and Magdalena Klemun, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab2577\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published a study\u003c/a> about whether gas can continue to help drive down greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal in the electricity mix, given the methane leaks from the supply chain. They found that if you focus on methane’s short-term warming impact, the industry would need to eliminate up to 90 percent of its methane emissions in order to help meet a goal of cutting total greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But methane leaks are just part of the story. While a natural gas-fired power plant emits only about half the carbon dioxide as a coal plant, that’s still far from zero. And record-high gas production has sent prices plummeting, driving a boom in industrial activity to use all that cheap gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pair of recent studies used data from permits for planned and recently completed projects such as chemical plants and liquid natural gas export facilities to estimate what this boom in industrial development could mean for emissions. One, \u003ca href=\"https://www.environmentalintegrity.org/news/oil-and-gas-industry-expansions-could-add-as-much-greenhouse-gas-pollution-as-50-coal-plants-by-2025/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by the Environmental Integrity Project\u003c/a>, an advocacy group, found that by 2025, the planned development could contribute a level of emissions equal to that of 50 coal plants. Another, \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab5e6f/pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published this month\u003c/a> by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, projected out to 2030 but limited its scope to development in Texas and Louisiana. It found even higher figures. If every proposed project were to move forward, they determined, the industry’s expansion in the region could lead to an additional 541 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2030, equal to about 8 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And methane leaks were only a piece of that. The expansion of petrochemical plants, like those that \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16012020/plastics-marine-oceans-climate-change-oil-gas-carbon-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">produce plastics from gas\u003c/a>, account for nearly 40 percent of the additional emissions. New liquified natural gas terminals, which allow companies to export gas overseas, make up nearly 20 percent of the emissions. The study was funded by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, which was founded by a former energy executive who pioneered using hydraulic fracturing to produce gas from shale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea of natural gas as a bridge fuel to a more renewable future “is a thing that is said,” said Andrew Waxman, the paper’s lead author. “My main response is that the jury is still out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Another Way\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You only build a bridge as long as it needs to be. And increasingly, many advocates and energy experts are saying that in the transition to low-carbon energy, we’ve already reached the other side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wind and solar power are now often cheaper than gas. The costs of large batteries are coming down rapidly, too, which could allow wind and solar power to provide a higher proportion of the grid’s electricity, even though they produce energy intermittently. Already, construction of new renewables \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/campaign-archive/clean-economy-weekly/1827189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is outpacing gas\u003c/a> in terms of capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the aim is to get to zero net emissions by midcentury, Trancik said, “then you have to transition away from natural gas.” At this point, she said, any new natural gas power plant or pipeline, which may be expected to continue operating for decades, creates a new financial incentive to continue to use more gas, making it that much harder to phase out fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I think we should be very hesitant of investing in new infrastructure with a long life,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cem>An earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized the Environmental Defense Fund’s relationship with the oil and gas industry. EDF collaborates with companies in working on the methane problem but does not receive money from the industry.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/Neq_CwpkPvsGmMG7hVOy7A?domain=insideclimatenews.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">InsideClimate News\u003c/a> is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter \u003ca href=\"https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/pD-rCxklQwf1V61yTviMEq?domain=insideclimatenews.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can natural gas be part of a climate change solution?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That’s what the American Petroleum Institute argues in a \u003ca href=\"https://energyforprogress.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new campaign\u003c/a> it has launched ahead of this year’s elections, pushing back against some Democratic candidates who support bans on new development of oil and gas. The campaign echoes a refrain that supporters from both political parties have pushed for years: that gas is a cleaner fuel than coal and can serve as a bridge to a low-carbon future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The industry points to data showing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions are at their \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07012020/infographic-united-states-emissions-2019-climate-change-greenhouse-gas-coal-transportation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lowest level in decades\u003c/a>, as coal power generation has been replaced by gas, which produces about half the carbon dioxide emissions when burned, and by renewable energy sources like wind and solar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But experts agree that those official figures understate emissions of methane, the primary component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas released in leaks throughout the oil and gas development supply chain. And while there’s uncertainty about how much methane is leaking, several studies show that the benefits of the switch from coal to gas over the last decade are smaller than government data suggests, perhaps substantially smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many oil and gas companies have pledged to reduce their methane emissions. But beyond the methane leaks, emissions from new petrochemical plants and liquid natural gas export facilities in coming years, spurred by the gas boom, are set to surge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With costs of renewable energy sources like wind and solar now competitive with natural gas, many experts who have studied the industry’s emissions say that even though the switch from coal to gas has likely provided some climate benefits, marginal as they may be, it’s harder to argue that it can continue doing so in the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David Lyon, a scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, which has collaborated with the oil and gas industry in working on methane, said asking whether gas is better than coal may be the wrong question. “Compared to coal, I think there are a lot of advantages to natural gas,” he said. “But renewables have a lot more advantages.””Compared to coal, I think there are a lot of advantages to natural gas,” he said. “But renewables have a lot more advantages.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jessika Trancik, an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Institute for Data, Systems and Society, who recently co-authored a study about the coal-to-gas switch, said continuing to rely on natural gas will grow increasingly difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“It has served as a bridge,” she said. “But we’re kind of nearing the end of the bridge.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>How Far Have Emissions Fallen?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Official EPA data says \u003ca href=\"https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-04/documents/us-ghg-inventory-2019-chapter-3-energy.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">methane emissions from the oil and gas industry\u003c/a> were down slightly from 2005 to 2017 and were down significantly from 1990 levels. Over the same period, oil and gas production has grown substantially, and the industry points to this as a sign of its efforts to limit emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Given the seriousness and risks of climate change, natural gas and oil operators are working harder than ever to capture as much methane as possible during production and transmission,” said Reid Porter, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, in an email.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet while EPA hasn’t published data for the past two years, other sources suggest methane emissions may be rising. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the industry’s venting and flaring—venting is the intentional release of methane to the atmosphere, while flaring burns the methane to emit carbon dioxide instead—\u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_prod_sum_a_EPG0_VGV_mmcf_a.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">jumped by about 66 percent\u003c/a> in 2018. That doesn’t include unintended leaks from equipment. An \u003ca href=\"https://rhg.com/research/preliminary-us-emissions-2019/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analysis by the Rhodium Group\u003c/a> of more recent data found that the industry’s methane emissions were up last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever the official numbers say, actual emissions are almost certainly far higher. Figuring out how much methane is leaking is critical for climate accounting: while methane remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter period than carbon dioxide, it traps far more heat while it’s there. Scientists say methane is responsible for about one-quarter of the warming the world has experienced so far. And the oil and gas sector appears to be a growing source of these emissions globally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1956353 alignright\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"766\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529.png 529w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2020/01/gas-oil-methane-problem-529-160x232.png 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\">\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, \u003ca href=\"https://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6398/186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a study by scientists\u003c/a> with the Environmental Defense Fund and more than a dozen research institutions pulled together measurements taken around the country and estimated that the industry leaked about 2.3 percent of all the gas it produced in 2015. That’s about 60 percent more than EPA reported. Others have suggested the rate could more like 3 percent. Lyon, one of the study’s authors, said the scale of the leaks suggests the benefits of gas are much less than they appear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Probably the average national loss rate is low enough that there are immediate climate benefits of replacing coal with gas,” he said. “But it’s going to be close.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the biggest uncertainties comes from so-called “super-emitters”—a term that refers to uncommon events that release massive volumes of methane. Last year, Dutch scientists published research drawing on satellite data suggesting that one 2018 accident at an Ohio gas well \u003cb>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/climate/methane-leak-satellite.html\">l\u003c/a>\u003c/b>\u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/16/climate/methane-leak-satellite.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">eaked more methane\u003c/a> than the entire oil and gas industry of Norway does in a year. ExxonMobil, which operated the well through a subsidiary, said internal data had shown the volume of leaked gas was smaller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The American Petroleum Institute has also \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03032017/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency-methane-greenhouse-gas-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">supported\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29082019/methane-regulation-oil-gas-storage-pipelines-epa-rollback-trump-wheeler\">steps\u003c/a> by the Trump administration to weaken regulations enacted by the Obama administration to improve reporting and reduce leaks. Porter said other state and federal regulations already control methane emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the U.S., new evidence suggests natural gas use is \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03122019/fossil-fuel-emissions-2019-natural-gas-bridge-oil-coal-climate-change\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">growing so fast globally\u003c/a> that the rise in carbon dioxide emissions from gas has eclipsed the decline in emissions from coal. And that’s not even counting methane leaks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Looking Ahead\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if gas has provided a benefit so far, there’s growing evidence it’s becoming an increasingly bad bet for the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Precisely how bad depends in part on how methane is compared with carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas. Since methane traps more heat but breaks down much more quickly, scientists use a sliding scale to convert methane emissions into “carbon dioxide equivalents.” If you compare the two gases over the course of a century, methane is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. If you look over a 20-year timeframe, methane is more than 80 times stronger. The EPA uses the 100-year conversion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“What that does is it greatly discounts what methane can do for the decade or three that it’s in the atmosphere,” said Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology at Cornell University, speaking about the EPA’s approach. “I and others have been arguing we should use a shorter time frame, because we’re concerned about reaching tipping points in the climate system over the next one to two to three decades, and methane can drive us over those tipping points.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In December, Trancik and Magdalena Klemun, a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab2577\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published a study\u003c/a> about whether gas can continue to help drive down greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal in the electricity mix, given the methane leaks from the supply chain. They found that if you focus on methane’s short-term warming impact, the industry would need to eliminate up to 90 percent of its methane emissions in order to help meet a goal of cutting total greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But methane leaks are just part of the story. While a natural gas-fired power plant emits only about half the carbon dioxide as a coal plant, that’s still far from zero. And record-high gas production has sent prices plummeting, driving a boom in industrial activity to use all that cheap gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A pair of recent studies used data from permits for planned and recently completed projects such as chemical plants and liquid natural gas export facilities to estimate what this boom in industrial development could mean for emissions. One, \u003ca href=\"https://www.environmentalintegrity.org/news/oil-and-gas-industry-expansions-could-add-as-much-greenhouse-gas-pollution-as-50-coal-plants-by-2025/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by the Environmental Integrity Project\u003c/a>, an advocacy group, found that by 2025, the planned development could contribute a level of emissions equal to that of 50 coal plants. Another, \u003ca href=\"https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab5e6f/pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published this month\u003c/a> by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, projected out to 2030 but limited its scope to development in Texas and Louisiana. It found even higher figures. If every proposed project were to move forward, they determined, the industry’s expansion in the region could lead to an additional 541 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2030, equal to about 8 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And methane leaks were only a piece of that. The expansion of petrochemical plants, like those that \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16012020/plastics-marine-oceans-climate-change-oil-gas-carbon-emissions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">produce plastics from gas\u003c/a>, account for nearly 40 percent of the additional emissions. New liquified natural gas terminals, which allow companies to export gas overseas, make up nearly 20 percent of the emissions. The study was funded by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, which was founded by a former energy executive who pioneered using hydraulic fracturing to produce gas from shale.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea of natural gas as a bridge fuel to a more renewable future “is a thing that is said,” said Andrew Waxman, the paper’s lead author. “My main response is that the jury is still out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Another Way\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You only build a bridge as long as it needs to be. And increasingly, many advocates and energy experts are saying that in the transition to low-carbon energy, we’ve already reached the other side.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wind and solar power are now often cheaper than gas. The costs of large batteries are coming down rapidly, too, which could allow wind and solar power to provide a higher proportion of the grid’s electricity, even though they produce energy intermittently. Already, construction of new renewables \u003ca href=\"https://insideclimatenews.org/campaign-archive/clean-economy-weekly/1827189\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">is outpacing gas\u003c/a> in terms of capacity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the aim is to get to zero net emissions by midcentury, Trancik said, “then you have to transition away from natural gas.” At this point, she said, any new natural gas power plant or pipeline, which may be expected to continue operating for decades, creates a new financial incentive to continue to use more gas, making it that much harder to phase out fossil fuels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“I think we should be very hesitant of investing in new infrastructure with a long life,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cem>An earlier version of this article incorrectly characterized the Environmental Defense Fund’s relationship with the oil and gas industry. EDF collaborates with companies in working on the methane problem but does not receive money from the industry.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Environmentalists to California Restaurants: Drop Lawsuit Over Berkeley Gas Ban",
"headTitle": "Environmentalists to California Restaurants: Drop Lawsuit Over Berkeley Gas Ban | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Environmental organizations are urging the board members of a major lobbying group for California restaurants to reconsider their support for a lawsuit against Berkeley over the city’s ban on natural gas in new buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organizations including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/Letter%20to%20Restaurants%20on%20Board%20of%20CRA.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter\u003c/a> they sent Tuesday to the restaurants of the California Restaurant Association’s board members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By carrying out this lawsuit, CRA is positioning themselves in alliance with oil and gas industry executives, and not on the side of the majority of Californians who support solutions to the climate crisis,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote]While environmental organizations claim all-electric construction will make homes and businesses more affordable, the California Restaurant Association contends the gas ban will raise the cost of building and operating restaurants.[/pullquote]The restaurant association filed the lawsuit in November. It claims that a city ordinance allowing only electric appliances and temperature controls in new buildings is unlawful and will have a negative effect on restaurants. The suit argues that restaurants would not be able to properly prepare food or heat their buildings without access to natural gas. The association also questioned Berkeley’s rush toward a fully electric future amid increasing and irregular power outages across the state.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley City Council unanimously passed the ordinance in July 2019 as part of an effort to curb the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Proponents say the city adopted the measure after extensive research and public review. The law went into effect this month. Because the law applies only to new construction, Berkeley restaurants in existing buildings may continue using gas appliances, even if those restaurants require renovation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1956086 size-full\" style=\"font-weight: bold; background-color: transparent; color: #767676;\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley.jpg\" alt=\"frying pan over gas burner\" width=\"1020\" height=\"726\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-800x569.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-768x547.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California Restaurant Association in November 2019 sued Berkeley over its natural gas ban, arguing the measure violates state law and will hurt the city’s restaurants. (Matthew Green/KQED) \u003ccite>(Matthew Green/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Club has tracked more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2019/12/forward-looking-cities-lead-way-gas-free-future\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 cities\u003c/a> across the state that have adopted legislation similar to Berkeley’s banning natural gas or promoting electricity in new construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is in the middle of a climate crisis,” said Sierra Club representative Matthew Gough. “We know that without aggressive policy to move off of dirty and dangerous fossil fuels, natural disasters and strains on our resources are going to get worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that Berkeley’s ordinance both supports California’s statewide framework to move to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045 and aligns with the city’s public health goals. The environmentalists’ letter refers to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23962958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> that showed children who grow up in homes with gas stoves are 42% more likely to develop asthma than children who don’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While environmental organizations claim that all-electric construction will make homes and businesses more affordable, the California Restaurant Association contends that the gas ban will raise the cost of building and operating restaurants at the same time it limits consumers’ appliance choices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, said that while his organization supports California’s climate goals, declining to sue over the Berkeley ordinance would amount to “malpractice.” He added that the ordinance harms restaurants because chefs rely on open flames to heat woks, sear meat and char vegetables. The association says they can’t achieve the same effects with electric stoves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like taking paint away from a painter and asking them to create a masterpiece,” said Robert W. Phillips, a professional chef and chairman of the Chef De Cuisine Association of California in the press release that announced the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand that that’s a concern,” said the Sierra Club’s Gough, but he questioned why the issue wasn’t raised during the public comment period before Berkeley’s City Council voted on the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Condie responded that neither the Sierra Club nor its allies in support of the Berkeley ordinance reached out to the California Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is not the first time environmental groups have put pressure on the California Restaurant Association over the lawsuit. In December 2019, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice and other groups \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11788199/environmentalists-say-natural-gas-industry-behind-restaurant-groups-challenge-to-berkeley-gas-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alleged\u003c/a> that the gas industry was behind the lawsuit. The association denies that claim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Environmental organizations are urging the board members of a major lobbying group for California restaurants to reconsider their support for a lawsuit against Berkeley over the city’s ban on natural gas in new buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Organizations including the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council released a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/Letter%20to%20Restaurants%20on%20Board%20of%20CRA.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">letter\u003c/a> they sent Tuesday to the restaurants of the California Restaurant Association’s board members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By carrying out this lawsuit, CRA is positioning themselves in alliance with oil and gas industry executives, and not on the side of the majority of Californians who support solutions to the climate crisis,” the letter said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The restaurant association filed the lawsuit in November. It claims that a city ordinance allowing only electric appliances and temperature controls in new buildings is unlawful and will have a negative effect on restaurants. The suit argues that restaurants would not be able to properly prepare food or heat their buildings without access to natural gas. The association also questioned Berkeley’s rush toward a fully electric future amid increasing and irregular power outages across the state.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley City Council unanimously passed the ordinance in July 2019 as part of an effort to curb the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. Proponents say the city adopted the measure after extensive research and public review. The law went into effect this month. Because the law applies only to new construction, Berkeley restaurants in existing buildings may continue using gas appliances, even if those restaurants require renovation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1956086\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1956086 size-full\" style=\"font-weight: bold; background-color: transparent; color: #767676;\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley.jpg\" alt=\"frying pan over gas burner\" width=\"1020\" height=\"726\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-160x114.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-800x569.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2029/01/Natural-gas-ban-Berkeley-768x547.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California Restaurant Association in November 2019 sued Berkeley over its natural gas ban, arguing the measure violates state law and will hurt the city’s restaurants. (Matthew Green/KQED) \u003ccite>(Matthew Green/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sierra Club has tracked more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.sierraclub.org/articles/2019/12/forward-looking-cities-lead-way-gas-free-future\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">20 cities\u003c/a> across the state that have adopted legislation similar to Berkeley’s banning natural gas or promoting electricity in new construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“California is in the middle of a climate crisis,” said Sierra Club representative Matthew Gough. “We know that without aggressive policy to move off of dirty and dangerous fossil fuels, natural disasters and strains on our resources are going to get worse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He added that Berkeley’s ordinance both supports California’s statewide framework to move to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045 and aligns with the city’s public health goals. The environmentalists’ letter refers to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23962958\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">study\u003c/a> that showed children who grow up in homes with gas stoves are 42% more likely to develop asthma than children who don’t.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While environmental organizations claim that all-electric construction will make homes and businesses more affordable, the California Restaurant Association contends that the gas ban will raise the cost of building and operating restaurants at the same time it limits consumers’ appliance choices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, Jot Condie, president and CEO of the California Restaurant Association, said that while his organization supports California’s climate goals, declining to sue over the Berkeley ordinance would amount to “malpractice.” He added that the ordinance harms restaurants because chefs rely on open flames to heat woks, sear meat and char vegetables. The association says they can’t achieve the same effects with electric stoves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s like taking paint away from a painter and asking them to create a masterpiece,” said Robert W. Phillips, a professional chef and chairman of the Chef De Cuisine Association of California in the press release that announced the lawsuit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I understand that that’s a concern,” said the Sierra Club’s Gough, but he questioned why the issue wasn’t raised during the public comment period before Berkeley’s City Council voted on the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Condie responded that neither the Sierra Club nor its allies in support of the Berkeley ordinance reached out to the California Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is not the first time environmental groups have put pressure on the California Restaurant Association over the lawsuit. In December 2019, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice and other groups \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11788199/environmentalists-say-natural-gas-industry-behind-restaurant-groups-challenge-to-berkeley-gas-ban\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">alleged\u003c/a> that the gas industry was behind the lawsuit. The association denies that claim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "It's Official: Feds Open Up Central California to More Drilling",
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"content": "\u003cp>On Thursday, the Trump administration pushed forward a plan to open up more than a million acres of public lands to fracking and drilling in eight counties of Central California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Land Management finalized the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/california_fracking/pdfs/19-12-12--Prepublication-notice-of-ROD.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plan\u003c/a>, which ends a federal moratorium on offering new leases in the state. The move follows a similar October \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1948604/feds-open-californias-central-coast-for-new-oil-drilling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ruling\u003c/a> to open up nearly 800,000 acres for gas and oil extraction in parts of the Central Coast as well as land in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, although the likelihood of new production there is slim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s action further inflamed tensions between the federal government, which is barreling ahead with policies to expand domestic oil and gas production, and California and environmentalists, who want to scale back fossil fuel extraction. The state is pursuing increased oversight of fracking, for instance, recently moving to review its permitting process for drilling and passing a moratorium on some types of high-pressure well injections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Xavier Becerra immediately criticized the Trump administration’s plan, calling it “patently deficient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last June, the state’s top attorney challenged a draft of the plan, arguing that officials failed to analyze how new drilling could harm residents and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s not how we do things in California,” Becerra said in an emailed statement. “We’re prepared to do whatever we must to protect the health and safety of our people. We intend to be good stewards of our public lands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gustavo Aguirre Jr., Kern County director of the Central California Environmental Justice Network, argues that fossil fuel extraction is a step backward in the fight against climate change and exposes people who live in San Joaquin Valley to increased levels of pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is just another system of oppression to these communities who are already overburdened,” he said. “This is not welcom(e) news at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the Trump administration providing the greenlight for new drilling, the focus now turns to energy companies. Industry experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1951384/california-is-phasing-out-fossil-fuels-trump-wants-to-expand-drilling-somethings-gotta-give\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">say\u003c/a> they have shown little interest in developing the areas that the administration is opening up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BLM regional staff say they have received thousands of written comments from people who are concerned about the plan and promised to consider objections, the Sacramento Bee \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article238321848.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Peter Jon Shuler contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>On Thursday, the Trump administration pushed forward a plan to open up more than a million acres of public lands to fracking and drilling in eight counties of Central California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bureau of Land Management finalized the \u003ca href=\"https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/california_fracking/pdfs/19-12-12--Prepublication-notice-of-ROD.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">plan\u003c/a>, which ends a federal moratorium on offering new leases in the state. The move follows a similar October \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1948604/feds-open-californias-central-coast-for-new-oil-drilling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ruling\u003c/a> to open up nearly 800,000 acres for gas and oil extraction in parts of the Central Coast as well as land in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, although the likelihood of new production there is slim.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thursday’s action further inflamed tensions between the federal government, which is barreling ahead with policies to expand domestic oil and gas production, and California and environmentalists, who want to scale back fossil fuel extraction. The state is pursuing increased oversight of fracking, for instance, recently moving to review its permitting process for drilling and passing a moratorium on some types of high-pressure well injections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Xavier Becerra immediately criticized the Trump administration’s plan, calling it “patently deficient.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last June, the state’s top attorney challenged a draft of the plan, arguing that officials failed to analyze how new drilling could harm residents and the environment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s not how we do things in California,” Becerra said in an emailed statement. “We’re prepared to do whatever we must to protect the health and safety of our people. We intend to be good stewards of our public lands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gustavo Aguirre Jr., Kern County director of the Central California Environmental Justice Network, argues that fossil fuel extraction is a step backward in the fight against climate change and exposes people who live in San Joaquin Valley to increased levels of pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is just another system of oppression to these communities who are already overburdened,” he said. “This is not welcom(e) news at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With the Trump administration providing the greenlight for new drilling, the focus now turns to energy companies. Industry experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1951384/california-is-phasing-out-fossil-fuels-trump-wants-to-expand-drilling-somethings-gotta-give\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">say\u003c/a> they have shown little interest in developing the areas that the administration is opening up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BLM regional staff say they have received thousands of written comments from people who are concerned about the plan and promised to consider objections, the Sacramento Bee \u003ca href=\"https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article238321848.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reported\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Peter Jon Shuler contributed reporting to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Attorneys representing a coalition of 364 advocacy organizations filed a legal \u003ca href=\"https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/plastic-production/pdfs/19-12-3-NSPS-Petition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">petition\u003c/a> with the Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday calling for new regulations on the U.S. plastic industry. The group says plastic manufacturing is polluting the air and worsening climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The petition calls for requirements on manufacturers to power their facilities with renewable energy and to improve air quality monitors, record keeping, and public access to information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Plastic production is polluting,” said petition author Lauren Packard. “It’s poisoning our communities. It’s littering our oceans, and it’s dangerous.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Packard, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, rallied in support of the petition with other advocates Wednesday in front of the EPA’s regional office in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://twitter.com/JasonPfeifle/status/1201937352056168449?s=20\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The petition was co-signed by a coalition of major environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, as well as public health, social justice, labor, faith and indigenous rights organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Margot Perez-Sullivan, a spokeswoman with the EPA’s Pacific Southwest regional office, said the agency received the petition and will meet with the group’s leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We value input from all stakeholders,” Perz-Sullivan said in an emailed statement. “The petition calls for national rulemaking actions and has therefore been shared with the agency’s national leadership. EPA will review the petition and continue to work with stakeholders to address environmental and public health concerns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Plastic and Climate Change\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coalition of groups that petitioned the EPA says natural gas production is booming and that the glut has contributed to an explosion in plastic production over the last two decades. In the U.S., natural gas is the leading source of raw material for plastic production, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=34&t=6\">site\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The American Chemical Council argues that abundant natural gas creates a competitive advantage for U.S. chemical manufacturing and leads to job growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But advocates say they are concerned about both the release of benzene, formaldehyde, and other toxic air pollutants from the plastic-making facilities that use natural gas, as well as greenhouse gases released during the plastics manufacturing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Packard says EPA should strictly regulate the industry to protect public health and to fight climate change. “This dirty industry spews greenhouse gases at every step, from leaky gas wells to the plastic pollution degrading in our oceans and landfills,” she said. “That has to stop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re calling on EPA to update its outdated regulations that apply to plastics production facilities,” Packard said. “Plastics are a huge problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The petition was co-signed by a coalition of major environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, as well as public health, social justice, labor, faith and indigenous rights organizations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Margot Perez-Sullivan, a spokeswoman with the EPA’s Pacific Southwest regional office, said the agency received the petition and will meet with the group’s leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We value input from all stakeholders,” Perz-Sullivan said in an emailed statement. “The petition calls for national rulemaking actions and has therefore been shared with the agency’s national leadership. EPA will review the petition and continue to work with stakeholders to address environmental and public health concerns.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Plastic and Climate Change\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The coalition of groups that petitioned the EPA says natural gas production is booming and that the glut has contributed to an explosion in plastic production over the last two decades. In the U.S., natural gas is the leading source of raw material for plastic production, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=34&t=6\">site\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The American Chemical Council argues that abundant natural gas creates a competitive advantage for U.S. chemical manufacturing and leads to job growth.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But advocates say they are concerned about both the release of benzene, formaldehyde, and other toxic air pollutants from the plastic-making facilities that use natural gas, as well as greenhouse gases released during the plastics manufacturing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Packard says EPA should strictly regulate the industry to protect public health and to fight climate change. “This dirty industry spews greenhouse gases at every step, from leaky gas wells to the plastic pollution degrading in our oceans and landfills,” she said. “That has to stop.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re calling on EPA to update its outdated regulations that apply to plastics production facilities,” Packard said. “Plastics are a huge problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Trade In Your Gas Stove to Save the Planet? Berkeley Bans Natural Gas",
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"content": "\u003cp>To reach its ambitious climate change goals, California will have to entice homeowners to electrify everything. The state is trying to become carbon neutral by 2045 and around a quarter of the state’s emissions come from energy used by buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’ll be a big step, because today, an all-electric home isn’t common in California, as Oakland resident Bruce Nilles found out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" citation=\"Bruce Nilles, Oakland\"]‘I called three different contractors and all three of them tried to persuade me not to get rid of my gas.’[/pullquote]Nilles spent his career working on reducing the country’s use of fossil fuels, first at the Sierra Club and then at the Rocky Mountain Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was thinking a lot about coal and how do we transition the United States off of coal,” he said, “and had missed the fact that right in my own home was this big source of fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nilles’ two-story craftsman home had four appliances that ran on natural gas: hot water heater, furnace, dryer and gas stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It never occurred to me that they were a big piece of my carbon footprint,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electricity has a lower carbon footprint in California than natural gas, because the state is investing heavily in renewable energy. In 2018, half of the state’s electricity came from sources free of carbon emissions, such as solar and wind, as well as hydropower and nuclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945660\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-800x717.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-800x717.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-160x143.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-768x689.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-1020x915.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bruce Nilles shows off his electric heat pump at his Oakland home. \u003ccite>(Lauren Sommer/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I called three different contractors and all three of them tried to persuade me not to get rid of my gas,” Nilles said. He wanted to trade out all four systems, and found some contractors didn’t even have experience switching gas appliances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, he found one who was game to install a new electric induction range. Nilles says it’s a far cry from the old-school electric stoves with coils that heat up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thing this is so fast,” he said, “you put the water on and literally, 120 seconds later, its boiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nilles also got a new electric dryer, and in the basement, a water heater and heat pump that both heats and cools his home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The inspector didn’t actually didn’t sign off on our project, because on a check-box, it said there needed to be a gas shut-off valve on our hot water heater,” he said. Eventually, the city agreed to ignore the check-box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>First-of-a-Kind Ban\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the Berkeley city council voted unanimously to ban natural gas in newly constructed buildings, becoming the first city in the country to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials say new efficient electric appliances have lower carbon footprints than gas-powered furnaces and water heaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to tackle climate change every way that we can and by doing this, we’re not asking people to change that much,” said Kate Harrison, the Berkeley city council member who led the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"left\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Bob Raymer, California Building Industry Association\"]‘People love their gas stoves. We don’t want to force something onto the consumer that makes the consumer feel uncomfortable or that they just don’t like.’[/pullquote]The ban starts next year with homes and small apartment buildings, and will rope in other kinds of buildings such as high-rises and commercial space as soon as state officials complete energy efficiency analyses of those building types. Building owners can also apply for an exemption to the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to give us a better life,” Harrison said. “We’re going to have a cleaner environment. We’re going to have less health problems. We’re going to have less danger in our homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 27% of Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas. That’s on par with the nation; buildings, through heating and cooking, use almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas lines also leak one of the most potent climate pollutants, methane, directly into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change isn’t the only reason for the ban, according to the city. Berkeley sits on an earthquake fault, and a major event could cause natural gas lines to break and create explosions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking on gas stoves can also cause high levels of indoor air pollution, like nitrogen dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have health effects that have never been considered,” Harrison said, “that come from burning natural gas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945683\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945683\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign marking the boundary of the Aliso Canyon storage facility in 2016, in Porter Ranch. California Governor Jerry Brown on January 6, 2016 declared a state of emergency in the Porter Ranch area due to the continuing leak of natural gas from the Aliso Canyon storage facility operated by the Southern California Gas Co. \u003ccite>(Jonathan Alcorn/AFP/Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, stoves are the major sticking point, Harrison says. While homeowners may not have strong feelings about their water heaters, cooking is another matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heavy-duty gas ranges pack appliance showrooms, looking like industrial models made for restaurant kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People love their gas stoves,” said Bob Raymer, technical director with the California Building Industry Association. “We don’t want to force something onto the consumer that makes the consumer feel uncomfortable or that they just don’t like. After all, it’s their home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, he says, not offering those stoves could put builders at a competitive disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t support an outright ban on a particular product,” Raymer said. “What we do support are the use of regulatory and financial incentives to encourage a market to go a particular way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of restaurants today also use gas cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important that restaurants, along with all ratepayers, have a diverse set of energy sources they can turn to – and that includes natural gas,” said Sharokina Shams of the California Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Raymer says some builders are already switching to all-electric homes in California, because in new construction, they save $2,000-to-$5,000 by not running gas lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Cities Following Suit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cities including Sacramento, Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=6150\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Jose\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://sfenvironment.org/press-release/mayor-london-breed-announces-significant-efforts-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco\u003c/a> are all developing goals to cut emissions from buildings. While Sacramento has \u003ca href=\"https://engagesac.org/blog-civic-engagement/2019/3/15/converting-buildings-from-gas-to-electric-crucial-to-fighting-climate-change-commission-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">started discussing a potential ban\u003c/a> on natural gas in new buildings, other cities are looking at using incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state may not be far behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that we have to get away from fossil natural gas combustion,” said Andrew McAllister of the California Energy Commission. “Electricity becomes cleaner and cleaner, and natural gas is methane and it’s just got carbon in it. There’s no way around that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s Energy Commission is currently writing a road map for how the state can cut emissions from buildings 40% by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, to meet its goal of becoming carbon-neutral, California will have to tackle natural gas use in existing buildings, not just new ones. That can be costlier. Many older homes don’t have large enough electrical panels or plugs that can handle 220 volts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electric heat pumps and other electric appliances can be more expensive than gas-powered equivalents, especially because it can be harder to find rebates. Sacramento and San Jose are offering residents up to several thousand dollars to switch from gas to electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a cultural transition that we have to undergo,” said McAllister. “It’s a big lift, but we’re in a powerful state with a big economy and a lot of creativity. So I think if anybody can do it, California can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, McAllister says, a lot of the nation’s energy efficiency rules, including for appliances, were passed by California first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Natural gas appliances are a big target in the fight against global warming. Buildings, through heating and cooking, use almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>To reach its ambitious climate change goals, California will have to entice homeowners to electrify everything. The state is trying to become carbon neutral by 2045 and around a quarter of the state’s emissions come from energy used by buildings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’ll be a big step, because today, an all-electric home isn’t common in California, as Oakland resident Bruce Nilles found out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Nilles spent his career working on reducing the country’s use of fossil fuels, first at the Sierra Club and then at the Rocky Mountain Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was thinking a lot about coal and how do we transition the United States off of coal,” he said, “and had missed the fact that right in my own home was this big source of fossil fuels.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nilles’ two-story craftsman home had four appliances that ran on natural gas: hot water heater, furnace, dryer and gas stove.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It never occurred to me that they were a big piece of my carbon footprint,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electricity has a lower carbon footprint in California than natural gas, because the state is investing heavily in renewable energy. In 2018, half of the state’s electricity came from sources free of carbon emissions, such as solar and wind, as well as hydropower and nuclear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945660\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945660\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-800x717.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"717\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-800x717.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-160x143.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-768x689.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web-1020x915.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/DSC02303-web.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bruce Nilles shows off his electric heat pump at his Oakland home. \u003ccite>(Lauren Sommer/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I called three different contractors and all three of them tried to persuade me not to get rid of my gas,” Nilles said. He wanted to trade out all four systems, and found some contractors didn’t even have experience switching gas appliances.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eventually, he found one who was game to install a new electric induction range. Nilles says it’s a far cry from the old-school electric stoves with coils that heat up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Thing this is so fast,” he said, “you put the water on and literally, 120 seconds later, its boiling.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nilles also got a new electric dryer, and in the basement, a water heater and heat pump that both heats and cools his home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The inspector didn’t actually didn’t sign off on our project, because on a check-box, it said there needed to be a gas shut-off valve on our hot water heater,” he said. Eventually, the city agreed to ignore the check-box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>First-of-a-Kind Ban\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In July, the Berkeley city council voted unanimously to ban natural gas in newly constructed buildings, becoming the first city in the country to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City officials say new efficient electric appliances have lower carbon footprints than gas-powered furnaces and water heaters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to tackle climate change every way that we can and by doing this, we’re not asking people to change that much,” said Kate Harrison, the Berkeley city council member who led the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The ban starts next year with homes and small apartment buildings, and will rope in other kinds of buildings such as high-rises and commercial space as soon as state officials complete energy efficiency analyses of those building types. Building owners can also apply for an exemption to the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s going to give us a better life,” Harrison said. “We’re going to have a cleaner environment. We’re going to have less health problems. We’re going to have less danger in our homes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 27% of Berkeley’s greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas. That’s on par with the nation; buildings, through heating and cooking, use almost a third of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas lines also leak one of the most potent climate pollutants, methane, directly into the atmosphere.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Climate change isn’t the only reason for the ban, according to the city. Berkeley sits on an earthquake fault, and a major event could cause natural gas lines to break and create explosions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking on gas stoves can also cause high levels of indoor air pollution, like nitrogen dioxide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have health effects that have never been considered,” Harrison said, “that come from burning natural gas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945683\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945683\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS18585_GettyImages-503677392-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign marking the boundary of the Aliso Canyon storage facility in 2016, in Porter Ranch. California Governor Jerry Brown on January 6, 2016 declared a state of emergency in the Porter Ranch area due to the continuing leak of natural gas from the Aliso Canyon storage facility operated by the Southern California Gas Co. \u003ccite>(Jonathan Alcorn/AFP/Getty Images))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Still, stoves are the major sticking point, Harrison says. While homeowners may not have strong feelings about their water heaters, cooking is another matter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heavy-duty gas ranges pack appliance showrooms, looking like industrial models made for restaurant kitchens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People love their gas stoves,” said Bob Raymer, technical director with the California Building Industry Association. “We don’t want to force something onto the consumer that makes the consumer feel uncomfortable or that they just don’t like. After all, it’s their home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, he says, not offering those stoves could put builders at a competitive disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We don’t support an outright ban on a particular product,” Raymer said. “What we do support are the use of regulatory and financial incentives to encourage a market to go a particular way.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The vast majority of restaurants today also use gas cooking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important that restaurants, along with all ratepayers, have a diverse set of energy sources they can turn to – and that includes natural gas,” said Sharokina Shams of the California Restaurant Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Raymer says some builders are already switching to all-electric homes in California, because in new construction, they save $2,000-to-$5,000 by not running gas lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Other Cities Following Suit\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cities including Sacramento, Los Angeles, \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanjoseca.gov/index.aspx?NID=6150\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Jose\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://sfenvironment.org/press-release/mayor-london-breed-announces-significant-efforts-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-san-francisco\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco\u003c/a> are all developing goals to cut emissions from buildings. While Sacramento has \u003ca href=\"https://engagesac.org/blog-civic-engagement/2019/3/15/converting-buildings-from-gas-to-electric-crucial-to-fighting-climate-change-commission-says\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">started discussing a potential ban\u003c/a> on natural gas in new buildings, other cities are looking at using incentives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state may not be far behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that we have to get away from fossil natural gas combustion,” said Andrew McAllister of the California Energy Commission. “Electricity becomes cleaner and cleaner, and natural gas is methane and it’s just got carbon in it. There’s no way around that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s Energy Commission is currently writing a road map for how the state can cut emissions from buildings 40% by 2030.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, to meet its goal of becoming carbon-neutral, California will have to tackle natural gas use in existing buildings, not just new ones. That can be costlier. Many older homes don’t have large enough electrical panels or plugs that can handle 220 volts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Electric heat pumps and other electric appliances can be more expensive than gas-powered equivalents, especially because it can be harder to find rebates. Sacramento and San Jose are offering residents up to several thousand dollars to switch from gas to electric.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a cultural transition that we have to undergo,” said McAllister. “It’s a big lift, but we’re in a powerful state with a big economy and a lot of creativity. So I think if anybody can do it, California can.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, McAllister says, a lot of the nation’s energy efficiency rules, including for appliances, were passed by California first.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"headTitle": "SoCalGas Admits Funding ‘Front’ Group in Fight for Its Future | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>Right now, regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission are weighing exactly how and when to wean the state away from natural gas. That means Southern California Gas is fighting for its future, and the Public Advocates Office, an independent watchdog within the CPUC, says the utility’s not fighting fairly, lying to regulators and violating ethics and other rules in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" citation=\"Mike Campbell, Public Advocates Office, CPUC\"]‘SoCalGas is really clear that it sees the state’s climate goals really as an existential threat.’[/pullquote]SoCalGas, a Sempra Company, produces only one thing; with the state aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2045, the company’s days of selling natural gas to millions of customers are numbered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SoCalGas is really clear that it sees the state’s climate goals really as an existential threat,” said Mike Campbell, a program manager with the Public Advocates Office, which represents ratepayers in commission proceedings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell’s office argues that the utility’s tactics include lying to regulators, undermining efficiency codes and standards, and “astroturfing”: funding a seemingly independent advocacy group with ratepayer money. The independent watchdog is asking the commission to sanction SoCalGas, investigate its relationship with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://c4bes.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions\u003c/a>, and withhold bonuses that would benefit the utility’s shareholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While utilities commonly work to sway regulatory outcomes, critics say what SoCalGas is doing is out of the ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945946\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 485px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1945946\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-800x448.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"485\" height=\"272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-800x448.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-768x430.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM.png 832w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A page from a powerpoint by Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions, cited in a Sierra Club legal motion.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We know we have to move past gas to address climate change, to improve air quality, and so on,” said Earthjustice attorney Matt Vespa, who was among the first to raise questions about the utility’s tactics. “They’ve been fighting against this time and again; now they’re amplifying their efforts even more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoCalGas countered in a statement that while it has respect for the Public Advocates Office, the claims that the company lied or misled regulators are “simply untrue.” SoCalGas \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M277/K270/277270076.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">argues\u003c/a> that “[c]onsumers want choice,” and the company is offering that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who is Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas heats water for showers, warms homes in winter, tumbles clothes dry, and cooks food in many California kitchens. That’s why buildings contribute about 25% of the state’s carbon pollution; they’re an often overlooked source of fossil fuel emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions, or C4BES, focuses on kitchens. Its website features homey, multiracial photos of happy people cooking food, all gathered around flame-fed stoves. The nonprofit registered with the state in January, saying it was “representing the interests of gas industrial, commercial and residential users.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics, including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, argue that the group is a front; documents filed with the CPUC reveal that SoCalGas paid consultants to set up C4BES. Language the utility circulated in recruiting for the organization is nearly word-for-word the same as in the core principles now on the C4BES website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote size=\"medium\" align=\"left\" citation=\"Steve Weissman, former administrative law judge, CPUC\"]‘When the merits of the action you want to take stand on their own, you don’t have to be deceptive about selling it.’[/pullquote]Earthjustice’s Vespa says he first got suspicious of C4BES in the spring. He and other environmental advocates dug into it and found that last October, SoCalGas public policy manager Ken Chawkins offered a “welcome…aboard” to new C4BES board chair Matt Rahn, a Temecula city council member. SoCalGas itself has a representative on the C4BES board, as do eight organizations that received donations from the utility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Southern California Gas says it has been transparent in its role starting and funding the nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when the organization joined the regulatory proceeding, saying it wanted to speak for gas users, C4BES \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M292/K932/292932611.PDF\">didn’t declare\u003c/a> any relationship with a regulated investor-owned utility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earthjustice, Sierra Club and the Public Advocates office say that’s a big deal. Using shareholder money, utilities can advocate for themselves when regulators make rules. But critics say SoCalGas shouldn’t be able to spend money from shareholders or its customers to create a “separate” group to give itself a second voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945951\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945951\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drilling rig probes for natural gas on farm property in the Sacramento Valley. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given the overlap between what the utility says and what the nonprofit says, “the way that SoCal Gas is attempting to inject those comments and ideas into the discourse, I think they should just raise those directly,” said Campbell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vespa calls the relationship between the utility and the nonprofit outrageous. “It just really does fundamentally undermine the integrity of commission proceedings and transparency,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley law lecturer Steve Weissman, a former administrative law judge at the CPUC, says he’s seen SoCalGas do this before: create organizations, populate them with supporters, and use the organizations’ support to bolster their points. But neither he nor Vespa has ever heard of a nonprofit funded by a utility seeking to become a party to a rulemaking like this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the merits of the action you want to take stand on their own,” Weissman said, “you don’t have to be deceptive about selling it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who’s Paying for This Advocacy?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Investor-owned utilities are tightly regulated in how they can advocate for their interests; they’re not supposed to use ratepayer funds for political lobbying. And SoCalGas asserts that its “financial support for C4BES does not come from ratepayer dollars.” But according to Mike Campbell, from the public watchdog’s office, that’s “not credible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell points out that in official information requests, the utility has given the Public Advocates Office multiple conflicting answers about what money, from what internal accounts, is going toward C4BES. For example, in one response, the utility claimed that the consultants who helped launch C4BES were paid half out of ratepayer funds and half out of shareholder funds. After questions about funding spilled into the regulatory proceeding, SoCalGas now says the consultants were paid with shareholder funds, on which there are fewer limitations.\u003cbr>\n[aside postID='science_1945656']The Public Advocates office often requests information from utilities; according to Campbell, not often do the companies offer murky answers, then modify them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then as you [continue to] follow up, then another effort to mislead,” he said. “That’s extremely uncommon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the Public Advocates Office has asked the commission to investigate the relationship between the nonprofit and the utility, and sanction SoCalGas for violating Rule 1.1, under which anyone appearing before the CPUC \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M209/K618/209618807.PDF\">agrees\u003c/a> “never to mislead the Commission or its staff by an artifice or false statement of fact or law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ethical Questions Abound For SoCalGas Advocacy\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you pay your gas or electric bill in California, you’re also paying for your utility to weigh in on technical issues like energy efficiency, and complex codes and standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, critics have scrutinized SoCalGas’s advocacy, arguing that customers are paying for lobbying that would benefit shareholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As SoCalGas made its case for raising rates last year, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Sierra-Club-and-UCS_Opening-Brief_2018-09-21.pdf\">pointed out\u003c/a> the utility spent customer money on, for example, mailings that mislead customers on the relative costs of gas and electric heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[pullquote align=\"left\" size=\"medium\" citation=\"Mike Campbell, Office of the Public Advocate, CPUC\"]‘I mean, if you’re willing to lie about little things, why wouldn’t you mislead about the big things?’[/pullquote]And commissioners sanctioned SoCalGas for its advocacy about new specifications for everything from dishwashers to pool pumps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, commissioners concluded that SoCalGas used money from customers to advocate \u003ci>against \u003c/i>stricter codes and standards, not \u003ci>for \u003c/i>them, and that “there is a potential for SoCalGas to misuse ratepayer funds authorized for codes and standards advocacy.” As a result, through 2025, SoCalGas \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M215/K706/215706139.PDF\">isn’t supposed to\u003c/a> charge ratepayers to do codes and standards advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the Public Advocates Office says SoCalGas is violating that order, and they want the company sanctioned for that as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have evidence that they continued to work to undermine codes and standards even after the commission said you shouldn’t do that,” Campbell said. “And they kept charging those costs to ratepayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Aggressive Advocacy Across the State\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics say SoCalGas’ aggressive advocacy sprawls beyond the PUC, into county board rooms and town council meetings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning last June, SoCalGas crisscrossed the state making \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Sierra-Club-Response-to-SoCalGas-Motion-to-Strike_2019-07-05.pdf\">dozens\u003c/a> of presentations — to city and county governments, local associations, and chambers of commerce — using the words “balanced energy solutions” and urging people to join the free group, C4BES.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least two Southern California cities and three Central Valley counties have passed identical-language resolutions backing SoCalGas’ vision for “balanced energy solutions.” Supervisors in Kern, Tulare and Kings County approved the resolutions on their consent calendars, meaning without public discussion, and forwarded them as recommendations to legislators and regulators. Local reporting characterized their resolutions as evidence that the Central Valley doesn’t really share a Berkeley-type vision for moving away from natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most active people on the C4BES \u003ca href=\"https://c4bes.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook page\u003c/a> are from the utility and the consulting firm that helped the utility set up the nonprofit. That page counts more than a thousand hidden members. But few people engage with it: Most likes come from people affiliated with SoCalGas, including former community relations manager Alexander Kim and current public policy manager Ken Chawkins; from independent lobbyists for SoCalGas like Chris Gilbride; and from consultants (including Jorge Flores and Richard Lichtenstein) at Marathon Communications, which appears to have helped set up the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An email to Jim McDaniel, a Marathon consultant named in the Public Advocates file, was forwarded to Marathon, who declined to comment on Marathon and McDaniel’s behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas has long positioned itself as a safe, clean, reliable bridge to a lighter-carbon future: an alternative to heavier fossil fuels at one end, and the daily ebb and flow of renewable energy at the other. But critics say infrastructure failures, including at the Aliso Canyon Gas Field in Los Angeles County, have helped make gas more expensive for California ratepayers in the last couple of years. Not long ago, the PUC opened \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M307/K534/307534571.PDF\">two investigations\u003c/a> into SoCalGas, over Aliso Canyon failures, and over SoCalGas and Sempra safety culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scattered ethics complaints, including the latest one about a nonprofit now clearly affiliated with SoCalGas, may seem small compared to penalties under consideration for wildfires, and the lobbying dollars other utilities put into that effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Campbell says it’s emblematic of a larger problem. “I mean, if you’re willing to lie about little things, why wouldn’t you mislead about the big things?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The battle for California’s carbon-free future might one day come to your kitchen stove, but right now it’s at the state Public Utilities Commission, where Southern California Gas is fighting for its business -- and a watchdog says the utility’s not fighting fairly.",
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"description": "The battle for California’s carbon-free future might one day come to your kitchen stove, but right now it’s at the state Public Utilities Commission, where Southern California Gas is fighting for its business -- and a watchdog says the utility’s not fighting fairly.",
"title": "SoCalGas Admits Funding 'Front' Group in Fight for Its Future | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Right now, regulators at the California Public Utilities Commission are weighing exactly how and when to wean the state away from natural gas. That means Southern California Gas is fighting for its future, and the Public Advocates Office, an independent watchdog within the CPUC, says the utility’s not fighting fairly, lying to regulators and violating ethics and other rules in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘SoCalGas is really clear that it sees the state’s climate goals really as an existential threat.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>SoCalGas, a Sempra Company, produces only one thing; with the state aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2045, the company’s days of selling natural gas to millions of customers are numbered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“SoCalGas is really clear that it sees the state’s climate goals really as an existential threat,” said Mike Campbell, a program manager with the Public Advocates Office, which represents ratepayers in commission proceedings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell’s office argues that the utility’s tactics include lying to regulators, undermining efficiency codes and standards, and “astroturfing”: funding a seemingly independent advocacy group with ratepayer money. The independent watchdog is asking the commission to sanction SoCalGas, investigate its relationship with the nonprofit \u003ca href=\"https://c4bes.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions\u003c/a>, and withhold bonuses that would benefit the utility’s shareholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While utilities commonly work to sway regulatory outcomes, critics say what SoCalGas is doing is out of the ordinary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945946\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 485px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1945946\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-800x448.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"485\" height=\"272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-800x448.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-160x90.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM-768x430.png 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-31-at-5.40.00-PM.png 832w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A page from a powerpoint by Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions, cited in a Sierra Club legal motion.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We know we have to move past gas to address climate change, to improve air quality, and so on,” said Earthjustice attorney Matt Vespa, who was among the first to raise questions about the utility’s tactics. “They’ve been fighting against this time and again; now they’re amplifying their efforts even more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SoCalGas countered in a statement that while it has respect for the Public Advocates Office, the claims that the company lied or misled regulators are “simply untrue.” SoCalGas \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M277/K270/277270076.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">argues\u003c/a> that “[c]onsumers want choice,” and the company is offering that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who is Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas heats water for showers, warms homes in winter, tumbles clothes dry, and cooks food in many California kitchens. That’s why buildings contribute about 25% of the state’s carbon pollution; they’re an often overlooked source of fossil fuel emissions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions, or C4BES, focuses on kitchens. Its website features homey, multiracial photos of happy people cooking food, all gathered around flame-fed stoves. The nonprofit registered with the state in January, saying it was “representing the interests of gas industrial, commercial and residential users.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics, including Earthjustice and the Sierra Club, argue that the group is a front; documents filed with the CPUC reveal that SoCalGas paid consultants to set up C4BES. Language the utility circulated in recruiting for the organization is nearly word-for-word the same as in the core principles now on the C4BES website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "‘When the merits of the action you want to take stand on their own, you don’t have to be deceptive about selling it.’",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Earthjustice’s Vespa says he first got suspicious of C4BES in the spring. He and other environmental advocates dug into it and found that last October, SoCalGas public policy manager Ken Chawkins offered a “welcome…aboard” to new C4BES board chair Matt Rahn, a Temecula city council member. SoCalGas itself has a representative on the C4BES board, as do eight organizations that received donations from the utility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Southern California Gas says it has been transparent in its role starting and funding the nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when the organization joined the regulatory proceeding, saying it wanted to speak for gas users, C4BES \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Efile/G000/M292/K932/292932611.PDF\">didn’t declare\u003c/a> any relationship with a regulated investor-owned utility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earthjustice, Sierra Club and the Public Advocates office say that’s a big deal. Using shareholder money, utilities can advocate for themselves when regulators make rules. But critics say SoCalGas shouldn’t be able to spend money from shareholders or its customers to create a “separate” group to give itself a second voice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1945951\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1945951\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-800x1067.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"1067\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-160x213.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-1020x1360.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348-900x1200.jpg 900w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2019/07/RS3943_IMG_3348.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drilling rig probes for natural gas on farm property in the Sacramento Valley. \u003ccite>(Craig Miller/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Given the overlap between what the utility says and what the nonprofit says, “the way that SoCal Gas is attempting to inject those comments and ideas into the discourse, I think they should just raise those directly,” said Campbell.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vespa calls the relationship between the utility and the nonprofit outrageous. “It just really does fundamentally undermine the integrity of commission proceedings and transparency,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley law lecturer Steve Weissman, a former administrative law judge at the CPUC, says he’s seen SoCalGas do this before: create organizations, populate them with supporters, and use the organizations’ support to bolster their points. But neither he nor Vespa has ever heard of a nonprofit funded by a utility seeking to become a party to a rulemaking like this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the merits of the action you want to take stand on their own,” Weissman said, “you don’t have to be deceptive about selling it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Who’s Paying for This Advocacy?\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Investor-owned utilities are tightly regulated in how they can advocate for their interests; they’re not supposed to use ratepayer funds for political lobbying. And SoCalGas asserts that its “financial support for C4BES does not come from ratepayer dollars.” But according to Mike Campbell, from the public watchdog’s office, that’s “not credible.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell points out that in official information requests, the utility has given the Public Advocates Office multiple conflicting answers about what money, from what internal accounts, is going toward C4BES. For example, in one response, the utility claimed that the consultants who helped launch C4BES were paid half out of ratepayer funds and half out of shareholder funds. After questions about funding spilled into the regulatory proceeding, SoCalGas now says the consultants were paid with shareholder funds, on which there are fewer limitations.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The Public Advocates office often requests information from utilities; according to Campbell, not often do the companies offer murky answers, then modify them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And then as you [continue to] follow up, then another effort to mislead,” he said. “That’s extremely uncommon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now the Public Advocates Office has asked the commission to investigate the relationship between the nonprofit and the utility, and sanction SoCalGas for violating Rule 1.1, under which anyone appearing before the CPUC \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M209/K618/209618807.PDF\">agrees\u003c/a> “never to mislead the Commission or its staff by an artifice or false statement of fact or law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ethical Questions Abound For SoCalGas Advocacy\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you pay your gas or electric bill in California, you’re also paying for your utility to weigh in on technical issues like energy efficiency, and complex codes and standards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, critics have scrutinized SoCalGas’s advocacy, arguing that customers are paying for lobbying that would benefit shareholders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As SoCalGas made its case for raising rates last year, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Sierra-Club-and-UCS_Opening-Brief_2018-09-21.pdf\">pointed out\u003c/a> the utility spent customer money on, for example, mailings that mislead customers on the relative costs of gas and electric heating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>And commissioners sanctioned SoCalGas for its advocacy about new specifications for everything from dishwashers to pool pumps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, commissioners concluded that SoCalGas used money from customers to advocate \u003ci>against \u003c/i>stricter codes and standards, not \u003ci>for \u003c/i>them, and that “there is a potential for SoCalGas to misuse ratepayer funds authorized for codes and standards advocacy.” As a result, through 2025, SoCalGas \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M215/K706/215706139.PDF\">isn’t supposed to\u003c/a> charge ratepayers to do codes and standards advocacy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the Public Advocates Office says SoCalGas is violating that order, and they want the company sanctioned for that as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have evidence that they continued to work to undermine codes and standards even after the commission said you shouldn’t do that,” Campbell said. “And they kept charging those costs to ratepayers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Aggressive Advocacy Across the State\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics say SoCalGas’ aggressive advocacy sprawls beyond the PUC, into county board rooms and town council meetings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beginning last June, SoCalGas crisscrossed the state making \u003ca href=\"https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/Sierra-Club-Response-to-SoCalGas-Motion-to-Strike_2019-07-05.pdf\">dozens\u003c/a> of presentations — to city and county governments, local associations, and chambers of commerce — using the words “balanced energy solutions” and urging people to join the free group, C4BES.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least two Southern California cities and three Central Valley counties have passed identical-language resolutions backing SoCalGas’ vision for “balanced energy solutions.” Supervisors in Kern, Tulare and Kings County approved the resolutions on their consent calendars, meaning without public discussion, and forwarded them as recommendations to legislators and regulators. Local reporting characterized their resolutions as evidence that the Central Valley doesn’t really share a Berkeley-type vision for moving away from natural gas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most active people on the C4BES \u003ca href=\"https://c4bes.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook page\u003c/a> are from the utility and the consulting firm that helped the utility set up the nonprofit. That page counts more than a thousand hidden members. But few people engage with it: Most likes come from people affiliated with SoCalGas, including former community relations manager Alexander Kim and current public policy manager Ken Chawkins; from independent lobbyists for SoCalGas like Chris Gilbride; and from consultants (including Jorge Flores and Richard Lichtenstein) at Marathon Communications, which appears to have helped set up the group.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An email to Jim McDaniel, a Marathon consultant named in the Public Advocates file, was forwarded to Marathon, who declined to comment on Marathon and McDaniel’s behalf.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Natural gas has long positioned itself as a safe, clean, reliable bridge to a lighter-carbon future: an alternative to heavier fossil fuels at one end, and the daily ebb and flow of renewable energy at the other. But critics say infrastructure failures, including at the Aliso Canyon Gas Field in Los Angeles County, have helped make gas more expensive for California ratepayers in the last couple of years. Not long ago, the PUC opened \u003ca href=\"http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M307/K534/307534571.PDF\">two investigations\u003c/a> into SoCalGas, over Aliso Canyon failures, and over SoCalGas and Sempra safety culture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scattered ethics complaints, including the latest one about a nonprofit now clearly affiliated with SoCalGas, may seem small compared to penalties under consideration for wildfires, and the lobbying dollars other utilities put into that effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Campbell says it’s emblematic of a larger problem. “I mean, if you’re willing to lie about little things, why wouldn’t you mislead about the big things?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "PG&E Plan to Clear Hundreds of Trees for Pipeline Project Sparks Controversy",
"headTitle": "PG&E Plan to Clear Hundreds of Trees for Pipeline Project Sparks Controversy | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp class=\"p1\">A Sept. 10 special meeting organized by the Lafayette City council that would discuss a controversial plan by PG&E to uproot hundreds of trees, has drawn ire from residents who want the trees to remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pending tree removal is part of the utility company’s Community Pipeline Safety Initiative, a statewide effort aimed at\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/gas-safety/safety-initiatives/emergency-access.page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> improving\u003c/a> public safety by clearing structures that could stand in the way of first responders attempting to access gas transmission lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tree roots also corrode the underground pipelines, which can lead to hazardous leaks, according to PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trees that are scheduled for removal include 207 on public property and 245 in Briones Regional Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of the plan\u003cspan class=\"color_11\"> say that removing hundreds of trees threatens local wildlife and significantly impairs the character of the neighborhood. They say the city should have conducted an environmental assessment before authorizing the plan in 2017. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Dawson, co-founder of grassroots group Save Lafayette Trees, says concerned residents want an open dialogue. He describes the September 10 meeting as “unbalanced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“PG&E is given an unrestricted time to present, and then residents are restricted to 3-minute comments before PG&E delivers its final rebuttal,” says Dawson. “We’re not sure what this will achieve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, the group wants PG&E to release the tree clearing agreement it drafted with the city in 2017. They also want the city to appoint a citizen advisory committee to address safety needs in Lafayette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"wixGuard\">“We simply want to sit down with PG&E and talk about the safety needs in our community without the distraction of the tree cutting,” says Dawson.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has already cleared trees in more than 26 communities throughout Contra Costa county. Lafayette is the last city in the county to carry out the tree removal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith says the company continues to work with the city “to determine the timing for this important gas safety work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next week’s meeting will include representatives from PG&E, the California Public Utilities Commission, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.savelafayettetrees.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Save Lafayette Trees\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Red Herring’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the city authorized PG&E’s plan last year, 300 residents signed a petition opposing the tree removal, according to Dawson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The petition led to the formation of Save Lafayette Trees, which sued the city for approving the plan. The lawsuit, pending on appeal, accuses the city of not evaluating the environmental impacts of clearing hundreds of trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t do the required environmental analysis and they failed to give us notification before they approved the plan,” says Dawson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson accuses PG&E of engaging in divide and conquer tactics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They make individual agreements with local counties in a very non-transparent process,” he says. “We can’t even get them to give us a full number on how many trees they’ve cut so far. They also won’t provide us with a list of the trees they want to cut down in Briones Park.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But PG&E spokesperson Smith says since 2017, the company has conducted a variety of outreach efforts “to share information, answer questions and receive feedback from the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This includes informational booths, door-to-door outreach, and an open house where residents engaged directly with PG&E experts, according to Smith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Through these efforts, we interacted with over 200 local residents and provided hundreds of written responses,” he says. “We want our customers to be fully informed about our safety work, and we appreciate the opportunity to address questions and concerns at the September 10 meeting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1930671\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1930671\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An exposed pipeline, which some residents say is a much bigger safety risk than the trees. According to Save Lafayette Trees co-founder Michael Dawson, PG&E still hasn’t covered up the exposed pipeline even though it was reported to the company 10 years ago. \u003ccite>(Save Lafayette Trees)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cstrong>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">A Lack of Data\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Pipeline Safety Initiative was launched following the 2010 PG&E pipeline explosion in San Bruno, which killed eight people. PG&E was hit with $1.6 billion in fines and criminal charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the incident, PG&E undertook a $3-billion statewide upgrade to its 6,750-mile gas pipeline system. Part of that money went toward gas transmission safety improvements, which led to the Pipeline Safety Initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program targets trees and structures that are located near PG&E’S pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a number of cities and counties \u003ca href=\"http://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/tree-removal-pge-ocean-street-extension/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have mounted\u003c/a> serious challenges to the utility giant’s tree cutting plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">In Lafayette, Dawson’s group maintains that tree-clearing is not a top public safety concern.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">“The justifications offered by the company are demonstrably false,” says Dawson. \u003c/span>“I think they are quick to use the label of ‘public safety’ to quell any unhappiness by locals. But the plan is a waste of resources and it distracts from actual safety concerns with these pipelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson says \u003cspan class=\"wixGuard\">no strong data exists to support the idea that cutting trees increases public safety. There has been no\u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\"> underground pipeline accident caused by trees anywhere in the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/de4240_3a2200235ff24b5f91384d1ecde9c412.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in the last 20 years\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also points to a 2014 study commissioned by PG&E that found no correlation \u003ca href=\"https://www.water.ca.gov/LegacyFiles/regulations/docs/082614/PGE_TreeRootStudyReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">between live tree growths and corrosion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further, an unnamed federal official that Dawson’s group reached out to debunked a claim made by PG&E president Nick Stravropoulos during the company’s annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFiIDWJVslI&t=9s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shareholder’s meeting in May.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stravropoulos had said that the Department of Transportation had identified tree clearing as the “number one safety issue” for transmission pipelines surrounded by “incompatible vegetation and structures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a DOT official, whose name has been withheld by Dawson’s group, refuted this claim in an email shown to KQED: “I do not know of anyone in the DOT who agrees with Nick’s statement … This does not accurately describe the number one safety issue for U.S. gas transmission pipelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The official went on to cite “equipment failure” as a top concern for the DOT’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson’s group says the company’s real motives for prioritizing tree clearing is to make it easier to survey their pipeline system via helicopter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">“It’s apparent that PG&E wants trees removed for the convenience of aerial surveying,” says the group’s website. “This is NOT sufficient rationale for why a large project with a devastating impact should be imposed upon a community without public input.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, PG&E\u003ca href=\"http://www.lovelafayette.org/home/showdocument?id=5475\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> issued a lengthy response to\u003c/a> questions that residents had submitted to the city. But Dawson says unanswered questions remain regarding PG&E’s safety priorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are huge gaps in safety that aren’t being addressed,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">Those safety needs, according to Dawson, include pipeline inspections, additional shut-off valves, and replacing aging pipeline infrastructure.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need more valves installed and aging pipelines need to be pressure tested,” says Dawson. “Firefighters we’ve spoken to say they’re more concerned with entering an area with the gas shut off, which requires functioning valves, not tree clearing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Jeff Heyman, a spokesperson for the city of Lafayette, sees next week’s meeting differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of safety issues on the table for this meeting,” says Heyman. “We’re facilitating this meeting to allow residents to ask questions and receive answers from PG&E.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He accuses Dawson’s group of being singularly focused on the tree clearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not true that the meeting will only consist of PG&E doing a presentation,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The September 10 meeting is scheduled for 4-7pm at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lllcf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lafayette Library and Learning Center\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Note: This story has been updated to include comments from PG&E. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Critics say that an upcoming meeting organized by the Lafayette City Council to discuss a controversial plan to uproot hundreds of trees is nothing more than a platform for PG&E to push forward its agenda.",
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"description": "Critics say that an upcoming meeting organized by the Lafayette City Council to discuss a controversial plan to uproot hundreds of trees is nothing more than a platform for PG&E to push forward its agenda.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp class=\"p1\">A Sept. 10 special meeting organized by the Lafayette City council that would discuss a controversial plan by PG&E to uproot hundreds of trees, has drawn ire from residents who want the trees to remain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pending tree removal is part of the utility company’s Community Pipeline Safety Initiative, a statewide effort aimed at\u003ca href=\"https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/gas-safety/safety-initiatives/emergency-access.page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> improving\u003c/a> public safety by clearing structures that could stand in the way of first responders attempting to access gas transmission lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tree roots also corrode the underground pipelines, which can lead to hazardous leaks, according to PG&E.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trees that are scheduled for removal include 207 on public property and 245 in Briones Regional Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics of the plan\u003cspan class=\"color_11\"> say that removing hundreds of trees threatens local wildlife and significantly impairs the character of the neighborhood. They say the city should have conducted an environmental assessment before authorizing the plan in 2017. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michael Dawson, co-founder of grassroots group Save Lafayette Trees, says concerned residents want an open dialogue. He describes the September 10 meeting as “unbalanced.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“PG&E is given an unrestricted time to present, and then residents are restricted to 3-minute comments before PG&E delivers its final rebuttal,” says Dawson. “We’re not sure what this will achieve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, the group wants PG&E to release the tree clearing agreement it drafted with the city in 2017. They also want the city to appoint a citizen advisory committee to address safety needs in Lafayette.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"wixGuard\">“We simply want to sit down with PG&E and talk about the safety needs in our community without the distraction of the tree cutting,” says Dawson.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E has already cleared trees in more than 26 communities throughout Contra Costa county. Lafayette is the last city in the county to carry out the tree removal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith says the company continues to work with the city “to determine the timing for this important gas safety work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Next week’s meeting will include representatives from PG&E, the California Public Utilities Commission, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.savelafayettetrees.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Save Lafayette Trees\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>‘Red Herring’\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the city authorized PG&E’s plan last year, 300 residents signed a petition opposing the tree removal, according to Dawson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The petition led to the formation of Save Lafayette Trees, which sued the city for approving the plan. The lawsuit, pending on appeal, accuses the city of not evaluating the environmental impacts of clearing hundreds of trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t do the required environmental analysis and they failed to give us notification before they approved the plan,” says Dawson.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson accuses PG&E of engaging in divide and conquer tactics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They make individual agreements with local counties in a very non-transparent process,” he says. “We can’t even get them to give us a full number on how many trees they’ve cut so far. They also won’t provide us with a list of the trees they want to cut down in Briones Park.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But PG&E spokesperson Smith says since 2017, the company has conducted a variety of outreach efforts “to share information, answer questions and receive feedback from the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This includes informational booths, door-to-door outreach, and an open house where residents engaged directly with PG&E experts, according to Smith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Through these efforts, we interacted with over 200 local residents and provided hundreds of written responses,” he says. “We want our customers to be fully informed about our safety work, and we appreciate the opportunity to address questions and concerns at the September 10 meeting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_1930671\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1930671\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/science/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1020x765.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-768x576.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2018/09/IMG_7218.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An exposed pipeline, which some residents say is a much bigger safety risk than the trees. According to Save Lafayette Trees co-founder Michael Dawson, PG&E still hasn’t covered up the exposed pipeline even though it was reported to the company 10 years ago. \u003ccite>(Save Lafayette Trees)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cstrong>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">A Lack of Data\u003c/span>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Pipeline Safety Initiative was launched following the 2010 PG&E pipeline explosion in San Bruno, which killed eight people. PG&E was hit with $1.6 billion in fines and criminal charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the incident, PG&E undertook a $3-billion statewide upgrade to its 6,750-mile gas pipeline system. Part of that money went toward gas transmission safety improvements, which led to the Pipeline Safety Initiative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The program targets trees and structures that are located near PG&E’S pipeline system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a number of cities and counties \u003ca href=\"http://goodtimes.sc/santa-cruz-news/tree-removal-pge-ocean-street-extension/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have mounted\u003c/a> serious challenges to the utility giant’s tree cutting plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">In Lafayette, Dawson’s group maintains that tree-clearing is not a top public safety concern.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">“The justifications offered by the company are demonstrably false,” says Dawson. \u003c/span>“I think they are quick to use the label of ‘public safety’ to quell any unhappiness by locals. But the plan is a waste of resources and it distracts from actual safety concerns with these pipelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson says \u003cspan class=\"wixGuard\">no strong data exists to support the idea that cutting trees increases public safety. There has been no\u003c/span>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\"> underground pipeline accident caused by trees anywhere in the U.S. \u003ca href=\"https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/de4240_3a2200235ff24b5f91384d1ecde9c412.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in the last 20 years\u003c/a>.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also points to a 2014 study commissioned by PG&E that found no correlation \u003ca href=\"https://www.water.ca.gov/LegacyFiles/regulations/docs/082614/PGE_TreeRootStudyReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">between live tree growths and corrosion\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Further, an unnamed federal official that Dawson’s group reached out to debunked a claim made by PG&E president Nick Stravropoulos during the company’s annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFiIDWJVslI&t=9s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shareholder’s meeting in May.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stravropoulos had said that the Department of Transportation had identified tree clearing as the “number one safety issue” for transmission pipelines surrounded by “incompatible vegetation and structures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But a DOT official, whose name has been withheld by Dawson’s group, refuted this claim in an email shown to KQED: “I do not know of anyone in the DOT who agrees with Nick’s statement … This does not accurately describe the number one safety issue for U.S. gas transmission pipelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The official went on to cite “equipment failure” as a top concern for the DOT’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dawson’s group says the company’s real motives for prioritizing tree clearing is to make it easier to survey their pipeline system via helicopter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"font_9\">\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">“It’s apparent that PG&E wants trees removed for the convenience of aerial surveying,” says the group’s website. “This is NOT sufficient rationale for why a large project with a devastating impact should be imposed upon a community without public input.”\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, PG&E\u003ca href=\"http://www.lovelafayette.org/home/showdocument?id=5475\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> issued a lengthy response to\u003c/a> questions that residents had submitted to the city. But Dawson says unanswered questions remain regarding PG&E’s safety priorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are huge gaps in safety that aren’t being addressed,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"color_11\">Those safety needs, according to Dawson, include pipeline inspections, additional shut-off valves, and replacing aging pipeline infrastructure.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need more valves installed and aging pipelines need to be pressure tested,” says Dawson. “Firefighters we’ve spoken to say they’re more concerned with entering an area with the gas shut off, which requires functioning valves, not tree clearing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Jeff Heyman, a spokesperson for the city of Lafayette, sees next week’s meeting differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of safety issues on the table for this meeting,” says Heyman. “We’re facilitating this meeting to allow residents to ask questions and receive answers from PG&E.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He accuses Dawson’s group of being singularly focused on the tree clearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not true that the meeting will only consist of PG&E doing a presentation,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The September 10 meeting is scheduled for 4-7pm at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.lllcf.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lafayette Library and Learning Center\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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},
"radiolab": {
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
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"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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