BERKELEY, California—Berkeley is planning to ban natural gas in all new buildings by January 2020. The city council voted unanimously in support of the new city code on July 23.
This will mean that new homes, stores, businesses, and restaurants will not be able to use natural gas for stoves or heating starting from next year.
Some people are in favor of it, saying that the move will make the city more environmentally-friendly.
“I’m all for protecting the environment as long as it’s proper policy decision and not a political one,” said Geoff Oxholm, an Albany resident.
“Solar panels are obviously getting better and cheaper,” said Richard Campbell, an East Bay resident.
Others don’t think the new policy is a good idea.
“I think that it’s another way for the electric companies to make more money. If you generally look at it, your electric bill—when you heat your home, through gas, it’s less costly for you,” said Khalil Nazehi, an East Bay resident.
There’s also the issue of relying on one source when something goes wrong.
“If you did have power outages, you can also use natural gas to heating and for cooking. And whereas electricity, when you lose electricity, you have no other use except maybe fire,” said Charles Bunch, a local government employee with years of experience in heating and air conditioning.
Many agreed that for new buildings to rely on just electricity, their monthly energy bills would be much higher.
