The desire to roll back the nation’s use of fossil fuels and replace it with renewables has taken some odd turns in recent years.  That includes new rules in some major cities banning the use of natural gas for heating and cooking in new construction, and a push in some states to stop the local bans.

As the Wall Street Journal reports:

Major cities including San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and New York have either enacted or proposed measures to ban or discourage the use of the fossil fuel in new homes and buildings, two years after Berkeley, Calif., passed the first such prohibition in the U.S. in 2019.

The bans in turn have led Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas and Louisiana to enact laws outlawing such municipal prohibitions in their states before they can spread, arguing that they are overly restrictive and costly. Ohio is considering a similar measure.

Team Green says the bans are necessary because natural gas contributes to global warming. They say a fully-electric home, taking power from a grid that’s full of solar, wind, and other renewables, is the most sensible, earth-friendly way forward.

Opponents of such a change tramples individual choice, and putting everything on the electric meter will only result in higher costs and…more use of big gas plants to provide base power to the grid when the sun isn’t shining or the winds are calm.

Left to make their own choices, customers will determine what sort of power flows into their homes, and through the grid.  Ultimately, home owners just want the most cost effective and reliable source of energy they can get.  Their choices will make that happen – regardless of government mandates.