The Fight Over The Future Of Natural Gas
A gas ring on a household stove powered by natural gas is seen alight. In many states across the US, efforts to limit natural gas are being stymied by legislation. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images hide caption
A gas ring on a household stove powered by natural gas is seen alight. In many states across the US, efforts to limit natural gas are being stymied by legislation.
Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA growing number of cities are looking at restricting the use of gas in new buildings to reduce climate emissions. But some states are considering laws to block those efforts, with backing from the natural gas industry. Today, NPR science correspondent Dan Charles takes us on a tour of three cities where this is playing out:
- Lawrence, KS - Last year, the city commission adopted a goal of moving to 100 percent renewable energy. Now, the state legislature in Kansas is considering a bill that says no city in Kansas can prevent or discourage people from using natural gas from their local gas utility to heat their homes. That bill is likely to become law.
- Salt Lake City, UT - City officials here are not considering a ban. Instead, they're hoping to provide incentives to consumers that will encourage them to switch from natural gas.
- Flagstaff, AZ - Last year, the city council passed a climate emergency declaration and set in place the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. As part of this, officials were considering limiting new construction if plans included natural gas. But, Arizona's state legislature signed a bill into law making it illegal for cities in the state to limit these gas hookups.
Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Ramirez, edited by Gisele Grayson and fact-checked by Rasha Aridi. Patrick Murray was the audio engineer.