Today, Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) joined Legislative Republicans to call 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, Valladares urged the federal government to block regulations that would effectively prohibit Californians from purchasing or installing gas appliances in their homes.
“Californians need leadership that works to make their lives easier and more affordable,” said Sen. Valladares. “But this obsession with banning gas stoves – a cheap, clean alternative to electricity – does the exact opposite. We need the federal government to step in and stop this before it gets out of control.”
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 outsized 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.
Today’s letter continues Sen. Valladares’ advocacy, most recently highlighted in her call for real solutions for families after a January analysis by the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office revealed the state’s high utility rates.
The letter, signed by Valladares and all legislative Republicans, calls on the Department of Energy to evaluate these policies and take action to overturn gas appliance bans whenever possible.
The full letter is available HERE.
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