by Ramon Tomey, Natural News:
The San Francisco Bay Area will phase out heating appliances that run on natural gas, such as furnaces and water heaters, starting in 2027.
In a March 15 vote, the board of directors of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) mandated new water heaters and furnaces to have zero nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Exposure to NOX – which is produced by natural gas combustion – has been linked to respiratory conditions as per the BAAQMD.
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The BAAQMD’s phaseout of natural gas appliances reportedly sought to improve local air quality and public health. It expounded on the timeline in a staff report – with the rules applying to water heaters in single-family homes in 2027, furnaces in 2029 and multi-family and commercial water heaters in 2031. According to the same report, the compliance dates are meant to allow availability of zero-emissions equipment to increase and costs to come down.
According to the BAAQMD, about two-thirds of households in the Bay Area currently use natural gas appliances. It added that the new rules “will prevent up to 85 premature deaths per year and save up to $890 million a year in healthcare costs and lost work.”
The move is the latest by local officials in the U.S. to eliminate natural gas. At the state level, the California Air Resources Board announced last year that all new space and water heaters have zero emissions by 2030. Overall, the Golden State has been at the forefront of endeavors to cut more reliable fossil fuels in the name of fighting “climate change.” (Related: California bans gas-powered water heaters and furnaces to push “green” agenda.)
Everything will be banned in the name of “fighting climate change”
However, the Bay Area’s phaseout of natural gas-powered appliances could put users in disastrous consequences. Eliminating natural gas appliances would mean transitioning to electric equipment such as heat pumps. This could further burden the Golden State’s unstable power grid, which is overly reliant on renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
Furthermore, the rules do not apply to cooking appliances such as gas stoves. While those appliances are safe at the state and local levels, an impending federal rule could see them prohibited from new homes – courtesy of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
In a Jan. 10 op-ed, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) expounded on this impending ban teased by CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. during an interview. He told Bloomberg News: “This is a hidden hazard. Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”
According to the WSJ, the commissioner is more worried about gas stoves potentially causing indoor air pollution and asthma than accidental burns. Evidence of gas stoves causing respiratory problems is scant. In contrast, there are numerous proofs that gas stoves do not cause pollution and asthma.
“Gas stoves (and gas fireplace inserts) do not require certification. Whether designed to burn natural gas or propane, they burn very cleanly, emitting very little pollution,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood meanwhile found “no evidence of an association between the use of gas as a cooking fuel and either asthma symptoms or asthma diagnosis.”
The WSJ op-ed ultimately remarked: “Trumka wants to use indoor pollution as a pretext to advance the climate left’s goal of forcing all buildings to use electricity for everything. It’s not enough to force Americans to buy electric cars. We must all cook on electric stoves, too.”
