Listened to a very interesting podcast on NPR’s Short Wave recently on the potential of eliminating natural gas from new construction in certain cities. With more and more energy coming from renewables as we progress through time and tech, use of natural gas in the long term will have to be phased out to reduce fossil fuel dependence. But there are lobbies that would fight against this type of progress, namely natural gas lobbyists. Funnily enough, my initial reaction was “wait but what about cooking!?” I greatly prefer the control of a gas flame for cooking, much as the next temperature controlling freak home cook! But still, we must look to new and different ways of doing things if we are to progress, if we are to walk the talk of energy independence.
Induction cooking for instance, while not perfect, is an energy efficient way of using electricity to heat food, much more so - and safer too - than the old heating element style.
Heat pump water heaters, again while not perfect for every situation, can increase water heating efficiency - talked about in the podcast.
Minisplits/heat pumps. They’re becoming much more ubiquitous and affordable nowadays, with many offering DIY installations that are quite competitive with the professionally installed variety.
And of course, nothing is simple. Here in CA we have Public Safety Power Shutoffs due to the drastic increase in wildfire occurrence and intensity. So if all of your heating/cooling/appliance loads are electric, you’re in bad shape when the power goes out for hours, days, or even weeks. Perhaps battery backup systems will become more available and affordable (think options like the Tesla Powerwall) that could bridge gaps in power supply. Hopefully the market becomes more competitive in that regard and that lower-priced and more attainable options become available, and this is where government might prove itself useful and offer subsidies for individuals and families who need these resources the most. Of course, wildfire intensity has been directly correlated to climate change, and if we don’t phase away from fossil fuels we will have worse wildfires. Solutions must be manyfold, there is never one solution to any problem, but a suite that requires individual and collective participation…
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fight-over-the-future-of-natural-gas/id1482575855?i=1000511547666