SACRAMENTO – California Legislative Republicans have called on the U.S. Department of Energy to intervene against state and local efforts to ban natural gas, which drive up costs and limit consumer choice. In a letter sent to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Republican lawmakers urged the federal government to block regulations that would effectively prohibit Californians from purchasing or installing gas appliances in their homes.
“Democrats’ energy policy is ruining family budgets and supercharging California’s cost-of-living crisis,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (East Nicolaus). “Working Californians already face some of the highest electric rates in the country – they can’t afford to have out-of-touch bureaucrats ban more affordable energy sources. If California’s leaders won’t stand up for consumers, the federal government should.”
“The government overreach must stop. Californians don’t need unelected bureaucrats dictating what appliances they can buy,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego). “Electricity rates in California are the highest in the nation, and we barely have enough supply to keep the lights on. Now, Democrats want to push consumers away from the only more affordable alternative. Who exactly are they serving with this crusade against natural gas?”
Democrat-led state agencies and local governments have pushed a series of all-electric mandates, despite federal law preempting such restrictions. More than 60 cities and counties in California have adopted bans on natural gas appliances or implemented zero-emission appliance requirements. Even after a recent federal court ruling struck down Berkeley’s natural gas ban, many of these policies remain in effect, creating uncertainty and driving up costs for consumers, businesses and manufacturers.
All-electric mandates will have an outsize impact in California, where electricity rates are 92% higher than the national average. Additionally, banning gas appliances would force homes and businesses to rely solely on an increasingly strained electrical grid, raising costs and reducing reliability.
The letter, signed by all legislative Republicans, calls on the Department of Energy to evaluate these policies and act to overturn the gas appliance bans whenever possible.
The full letter is available HERE.
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