I could create a new Voice category called "Berkeley Insanity" and it would easily merit a dozen posts per year. Ridiculing Berserkley is so easy that it can get addictive, but I'll just take this one hit and then stop for awhile. Today's Chronicle front page piece says "Berkeley: City first in U.S. to bar gas lines in home construction".
Berkeley has become the first city in the nation to ban the installation of natural gas lines in new homes. The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously voted to ban gas from new low-rise residential buildings starting Jan. 1. The natural gas ordinance, introduced by Councilwoman Kate Harrison, requires all new single-family homes, town homes and small apartment buildings to have electric infrastructure.
California Energy Commission Chairman David Hochschild, a Berkeley resident, also spoke at the meeting and said that 50 cities across the state, including San Francisco, are considering similar action and Berkeley would pave the way for future legislation.
What makes this so stupid is that just last week the big headlines were about PG&E's plans to shut off electricity during high fire danger situations. Anyone remember the Oakland hills fire? Anyone think it couldn't happen again? And to top it all off, the U.S. has been a net exporter of natural gas for more than a year and has driven the price of natural gas down 87% from its peak in 2005. In the meantime, hardly anyone thinks electricity prices are going anywhere but up. So much for "affordable housing" from that bastion of East Bay wisdom. I'm grateful these sorts of ideas don't infect Burlingame too often although we must be vigilant every two years at election time (which is fast approaching again).
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