☆ Bay Area should blow off vague, unproven “green” energy regulations (perspectives)
When local gov’t makes huge energy mandates—looking at you, Bay Area Air Quality Mgmt District—it’s renters and homeowners who get stuck with the bill. What’s more, “renewable” goods aren’t always ethical—or, um, good for the environment. Opp Now contributors Denise Kalm and Sandra Delvin analyze boosting affordability in the Valley in this exclusive.
Denise Kalm, local political commentator: Energy is actually the number one driver of costs. You can’t drive without it, but neither can airplanes, trains, and trucks that deliver products to you. Most things you desire require energy to produce. As AI gains ground, it is a power pig.
While our politicians try to eliminate it, natural gas is vital to our energy infrastructure in California, creating electricity as well as powering homes and industries. It’s clean and safe and much needed.
Refineries are closing in California (Valero and Phillips 66) because of aggressive climate goals and expensive environmental regulations. We have “special” fuel which no one else wants and costs more to produce. The loss of Valero’s Benicia refinery reduces gas production by 9%; Phillips 66 reduces it a further 8%. This will drive up costs, not to mention the increased gas tax about to hit us. We’ll need to rely on other states and nations to supply it, at a cost.
Nuclear power is green, safe, easy to implement with a smaller footprint. Small module reactors (SMRs) can be brought online much faster and cheaper. Ignore expensive alternatives; all our governments should back nuclear.
Sandra Delvin, Families & Homes San Jose president: Government officials and politicians often support policies that drive up costs. Too frequently, they prioritize “virtue signaling” and develop government regulations beyond their core responsibilities.
A prime example of this is the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) ban on natural gas furnaces and water heaters. This upcoming ban will significantly increase both replacement and operational costs of home heating. It will also place additional strain on the power system.
In addition, San José’s Climate Smart program is now proposing “electric-ready” requirements for homes undergoing remodels or additions where gas appliances currently exist—further driving up remodeling costs for homeowners.
These policies should be reconsidered. The BAAQMD ban should be rescinded, and San José’s Climate Smart electric-ready code study should be terminated. Both initiatives raise costs for homeowners without clearly defined benefits and appear to be more about optics than effective policy.
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