18-03-2025
Sacramento's gas fight flares up again
With help from Alex Nieves, Camille von Kaenel, Ry Rivard and Blanca Begert
FOOT ON THE GAS: Gas appliances may be going from a culture-war topic to a player in California's affordability debate.
Appliance makers who have been fighting local bans on natural gas stoves, water heaters and other devices are now thinking about taking that fight to the ballot.
The Japanese manufacturer Rinnai, which makes gas devices including tankless water heaters, and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, of which Rinnai is a member, commissioned a poll in late January to gauge public sentiment and found that cost-of-living arguments particularly resonated.
Asked about a measure to 'protect Californians' option to use natural gas for heating, hot water and cooking,' 67 percent of likely voters in the new poll said they would definitely or probably support it, compared with 18 percent who would definitely or probably oppose it.
The poll comes after a number of skirmishes on the state and federal levels. Berkeley repealed its ban on natural gas hookups in new homes last year after a suit from the California Restaurant Association and other groups.
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin proposed a bill last year that would have required labels on gas stoves warning of the potential health risks they pose, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it.
Bans and efforts to discourage the use of natural gas have drawn criticism from unexpected corners. A proposed tax on natural gas in Berkeley that ultimately failed at the ballot last November drew vocal opposition from local mainstays in the food and dining industry, like Berkeley Bowl and Boichik Bagels.
But now appliance manufacturers are merging the issue with the cost-of-living arguments that are sweeping Sacramento in the wake of President Donald Trump's victory.
The poll also tested a set of arguments for a potential measure, the strongest of which was about the cost to consumers: that it would be too expensive for many people to replace gas appliances. Eighty-six percent said they agreed with that statement.
The issue is a live one: Of those surveyed, 88 percent said they own or regularly use gas-powered appliances, and 71 percent said bans on these appliances would have a very or somewhat significant impact on them.
The Legislature has the power to ban local-level restrictions on gas-powered appliances, but companies don't see a bill that would address their concerns. One, AB 1238 from Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, would prevent restrictions on gas stoves specifically, but doesn't speak to other gas-powered appliances.
Beyond the ballot question, the polling could be a potent tool to convince lawmakers to get on board. The polling, and the potential look at the ballot, comes as leaders in the Legislature say their focus this year is on keeping Californians' cost of living from ballooning.
California should 'evaluate alternative paths that balance environmental objectives with economic realities,' Rinnai wrote in a letter to the California Air Resources Board last year over new proposed emissions standards for space and water heaters, 'aiming for a more inclusive and practical approach to reducing emissions.' — ES
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FACT SHEET FRACAS: California air regulators and car dealers are in a war of fact sheets.
The California New Car Dealers Association, which is spearheading a campaign to freeze the state's electric vehicle sales mandate, released a four-page rebuttal on Friday to a California Air Resources Board fact sheet that called industry arguments 'misleading' and a false narrative.
Car dealers say CARB is the one being misleading.
'CARB's fact sheet cherry-picks data, ignores real-world market dynamics, and relies on overly optimistic projections,' the rebuttal reads.
The tit-for-tat started last month after CNCDA launched the campaign, which has picked up support from groups like the California Chamber of Commerce and Western Propane Gas Association. Car dealers warn that the state's EV sales mandate is too aggressive and that manufacturers could reduce supplies of gas cars — increasing prices — to stay in compliance.
CARB Chair Liane Randolph called that possibility an unrealistic 'doomsday scenario' in an exclusive interview with POLITICO, saying that the Advanced Clean Cars II rule includes flexibilities to help car companies hit their goals.
'This campaign continues to mislead by ignoring California's longstanding relationship with automakers, the ample flexibility built into our regulations and the economic reality of the global vehicle market which is accelerating toward a zero-emission future,' she said in a statement Friday. — AN
CHUCK AND WALLOW: The White House sowed confusion over Trump's plans for two newly created national monuments in California over the weekend.
Former President Joe Biden designated the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands national monuments in January, protecting nearly a million acres in California's southeastern desert and northeastern forests, respectively, from energy and housing development.
A White House fact sheet accompanying Trump's order on Friday to roll back some of Biden's executive actions included a line about rescinding unnamed national monuments — only for the line to be removed a day later. The New York Times and the Washington Post reported over the weekend that Trump would seek to roll back Chuckwalla and Sáttítla, citing a White House source.
Targeting the two monuments, whether by shrinking them or explicitly reversing their designations, would likely lead to a drawn-out court battle, as Heather Richards, Scott Streater and Jennifer Yachnin report for POLITICO's E&E News.
And while removing environmental protections from public lands has fans among Congressional Republicans, it's already upsetting at least one California Republican: Assemblymember Greg Wallis, whose San Bernardino and Riverside County district includes parts of Chuckwalla.
'I hope the Trump Administration doesn't alter Chuckwalla National Monument,' Wallis said in a statement Saturday. 'Chuckwalla is extremely popular across the political spectrum and was advocated for by a large, bipartisan coalition. Our local communities know that safeguarding our desert is good for the economy and is smart for the well-being of generations to come.' — CvK
A NEW MOU: Newsom's administration signed an agreement today to cooperate on clean energy and trade with the Mexican state of Sonora, casting it as a contrast to Trump's tariff policies.
While the details are still murky, Newsom and Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo Montaño agreed to strengthen economic ties between the two states and work to develop renewable energy, resilient supply chains, and clean transportation.
'The conversation, Mr. Governor, we just had, I think, illuminated that contrast, the relationship to Sonora, the relationship to California, our relationship to this moment, and our relationship to the moments that are being advanced in Washington, D.C.,' Newsom said. 'There couldn't be a greater contrast.' — BB
NEW NJ BILL: New Jersey lawmakers are working on a corporate emissions-disclosure bill in the style of California's SB 253.
S-4117 would require businesses in New Jersey with more than $1 billion in annual revenue to eventually disclose all of their emissions — Scopes 1, 2 and 3. It passed the state's Senate Environment and Energy Committee today. — RR
TOGETHER AROUND THE FIRE: Fire techies are claiming a win after the launch and connection of their first prototype satellite to detect wildfires this weekend aboard one of Elon Musk's SpaceX's missions.
The effort is creating rare political alignment, bringing together as partners Google, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and satellite manufacturer Muon Space. The ultimate goal is a constellation of satellites providing real-time data on wildfires from space, called FireSat.
The launch got praise from Cal Fire chief Joe Tyler, who called it 'a significant step forward in protecting both first responders and the public during critical situations' in a press release.
The partnership expects its first operational FireSats in 2026. — CvK
TESLA TURMOIL: Alex was back on LAist today to discuss Trump's extraordinary bid to support Elon Musk by turning the White House into a Tesla showroom. Listen to the interview on today's All Things Considered to hear why that move will likely backfire.
— The Trump administration is seeking to end leases for NOAA offices in Arcata and Eureka.
— Florida surpassed California last year in new utility-scale solar.
— Firefighters had to rescue 300 climate conference attendees near Big Bear last week after they became stranded due to heavy snowfall.
