(Editorial) Close to Home: All-electric’s time will come, but it isn’t here yet
Berkeley just banned natural gas hookups for many new buildings. A host of communities are looking to follow; in the North Bay, this includes Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Hats off to Berkeley for its shout against methane’s greenhouse effect. But it is worth taking a sober look at consequences before hastily enacting more such bans.
First, electric-only buildings may initially worsen, not improve, environmental impact. Natural gas loads — heating, hot water and cooking — peak in the late evening and early morning, and in the winter. Solar power offers little then. Wind is unpredictable. Absent massive electric grid storage, where will the electricity come from?
By Doug Widney, The Press Democrat.