- 30 Jan 2024 19:39
#15303255
Washington state bans new natural gas hookups in higher population region
House passes natural gas ban, despite strained energy grid
Despite pleas asking customers to turn down their thermostats to reduce strain on the energy grid during the state's frigid cold snap earlier this month, Washington moved another step closer to banning natural gas.
In a 52-44-2 vote, Washington's House of Representatives passed House Bill 1589.
Among other things, the bill: Prohibits Puget Sound Energy (PSE) from providing natural gas service to new customers after June 2023; and Removes the requirement that PSE continue serving natural gas to existing customers.
House passes natural gas ban, despite strained energy grid, BIAW, January 23, 2024
Puget Sound Energy is the provider of natural gas service to all the big city counties along the Puget sound, as well as a few additional outlying areas. (It includes Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bellevue, Puyallup, Bremerton, and Olympia) More than half the state's population is located within this area.
This is equivalent to banning new homes from having natural gas in these areas.
Usually every three years or so when there is a storm and powerline poles fall over, there are many areas that lose electrical power during the coldest part of the year. (Whereas loss of natural gas supply almost never happens)
The Puget sound area also has a strained electric grid, and struggles to be able to provide enough power during times of peak use. Part of this is due to the huge amount of population growth and development in the area, and part of it is their reluctance to build more gas-powered electric power plants. The push to get more homes to install electric heat pumps and use electric cars is only going to put additional strain on the electric supply grid, something which the state does not seem prepared for.
Electric heat pumps are more expensive than gas furnaces, electric power usually costs more than natural gas in these areas, and electric heat pumps may lose efficiency and sometimes not be able to keep the home as warm during the very coldest part of the winter some years in the Puget sound area.
Banning natural gas hookups is also going to mean these new homes will not have gas stoves; there are many people who hate using electric stoves. The stove can take a long time to warm up, and then remains dangerously hot for more than 15 minutes after being turned off. It's almost impossible to adjust and turn down the heat when cooking. For electric stoves, it takes a huge amount of electric power to create heat. (A typical electric stove and oven can use 7000 Watts)
Why is the state doing this? Because progressive environmentalists think using fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is bad. There's a big push in progressive areas to try to convert everything to electric, a mentality that "electric is good", despite the fact that not all of the electric supply being generated in these areas is from renewable sources.
another related thread: California will ban sales of gas furnace heaters and water heaters (24 Sep 2022 )
House passes natural gas ban, despite strained energy grid
Despite pleas asking customers to turn down their thermostats to reduce strain on the energy grid during the state's frigid cold snap earlier this month, Washington moved another step closer to banning natural gas.
In a 52-44-2 vote, Washington's House of Representatives passed House Bill 1589.
Among other things, the bill: Prohibits Puget Sound Energy (PSE) from providing natural gas service to new customers after June 2023; and Removes the requirement that PSE continue serving natural gas to existing customers.
House passes natural gas ban, despite strained energy grid, BIAW, January 23, 2024
Puget Sound Energy is the provider of natural gas service to all the big city counties along the Puget sound, as well as a few additional outlying areas. (It includes Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bellevue, Puyallup, Bremerton, and Olympia) More than half the state's population is located within this area.
This is equivalent to banning new homes from having natural gas in these areas.
Usually every three years or so when there is a storm and powerline poles fall over, there are many areas that lose electrical power during the coldest part of the year. (Whereas loss of natural gas supply almost never happens)
The Puget sound area also has a strained electric grid, and struggles to be able to provide enough power during times of peak use. Part of this is due to the huge amount of population growth and development in the area, and part of it is their reluctance to build more gas-powered electric power plants. The push to get more homes to install electric heat pumps and use electric cars is only going to put additional strain on the electric supply grid, something which the state does not seem prepared for.
Electric heat pumps are more expensive than gas furnaces, electric power usually costs more than natural gas in these areas, and electric heat pumps may lose efficiency and sometimes not be able to keep the home as warm during the very coldest part of the winter some years in the Puget sound area.
Banning natural gas hookups is also going to mean these new homes will not have gas stoves; there are many people who hate using electric stoves. The stove can take a long time to warm up, and then remains dangerously hot for more than 15 minutes after being turned off. It's almost impossible to adjust and turn down the heat when cooking. For electric stoves, it takes a huge amount of electric power to create heat. (A typical electric stove and oven can use 7000 Watts)
Why is the state doing this? Because progressive environmentalists think using fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is bad. There's a big push in progressive areas to try to convert everything to electric, a mentality that "electric is good", despite the fact that not all of the electric supply being generated in these areas is from renewable sources.
another related thread: California will ban sales of gas furnace heaters and water heaters (24 Sep 2022 )
- By Tainari88
- By Pants-of-dog