From the State that can't keep the electricity on...
SAN FRANCISCO —
California's energy policy and planning agency wants to transition new homes away from gas-powered appliances.
The California Energy Commission released a draft building standards code on Thursday that would require new homes to be equipped with circuits and panels that support all-electric appliances for heating, cooking and drying clothes.
These guys are nuts on EVERY account. The cost to heat, cook, and dry clothes with electricity is about 6 times the cost of doing the same tasks with gas.
A kilowatt-hour is 3412 BTUs (British Thermal Units--the amount of energy needed to heat a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit). A therm (100,000 BTUs) is therefore 29 kilowatt hours.
I do not know the gas or electric rates in Cali, but I can guestimate.
A therm of gas is probably in the order of $1, and a kilowatt-hour is probably in the order of $0.20. So a therm from electricity is $5.80
To produce a therm of heat from electricity, you have to burn enough fuel at the power plant equivalent to 2.63 therms of gas or oil or coal, so you get at least 2.63 times the pollution. Yes, I know that power plants have scrubbers and other pollution managing devices, but the overall pollution (especially the carbon footprint) will be much greater by using electricity to heat instead of gas.
Oh, no no no no. Don't you know that the state regulators are ALWAYS CORRECT in their pronouncements? Just ask them. They'll tell you straight up that they're the smartest people on the planet and we should just do as they tell us mere peons.
I have gas. I should redefine that. I always have gas. Still not right. Ahem, my house has gas for cooking, heat and water heater. Love it. My electric supplier is not PG&E, it's the other one. Zero outages and reasonable rates. Guess I'm lucky for now.
To find out how lucky you are, check your bill. I just got my latest PG&E bill and the Tier 1 rate is just under 26 cents per KwH. It's the first time in a while there hasn't been a month over month increase.
I live in Michigan. I use Gas for cooking and water heater. Our clothes dryer is electric, unfortunately. Next time I replace my dryer, it will be with a gas model, and I will have a line run for it. The cost savings alone, will be well worth it.
Do Californians get electricity from ("off-shore") plants in Utah? Coal-fired generators? Coal trucked in 24/7 by semi-trailer and trains?
Delusional.
What happens after chinese hackers shut-down the diesel supply so trucks and trains are stopped? What happens after the plant employees cannot acquire fuel to get to work?
Pssst Mums the woid, Don't tell Californians, almost, all of their electricity comes from fossil fuels. When they charge their cars they think electricity somehow miraculously comes out of a lil box.
I agree with chillhill on propane. I have a gas range and gas fireplace. I just sold a home that was whole house solar but no batteries. Pulled from the grid at night but pool and hot water were on a timer. They shut off when the sun went down.
Off topic, but Kenny, I just got a warning from Google that phishing has been detected on your site. I had to click through that to get here.
ReplyDeleteHow is most electricity made again? Oh thats right nat. gas powered turbines.
DeleteThese guys are nuts on EVERY account. The cost to heat, cook, and dry clothes with electricity is about 6 times the cost of doing the same tasks with gas.
ReplyDeleteA kilowatt-hour is 3412 BTUs (British Thermal Units--the amount of energy needed to heat a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit). A therm (100,000 BTUs) is therefore 29 kilowatt hours.
I do not know the gas or electric rates in Cali, but I can guestimate.
A therm of gas is probably in the order of $1, and a kilowatt-hour is probably in the order of $0.20. So a therm from electricity is $5.80
To produce a therm of heat from electricity, you have to burn enough fuel at the power plant equivalent to 2.63 therms of gas or oil or coal, so you get at least 2.63 times the pollution. Yes, I know that power plants have scrubbers and other pollution managing devices, but the overall pollution (especially the carbon footprint) will be much greater by using electricity to heat instead of gas.
Oh, no no no no. Don't you know that the state regulators are ALWAYS CORRECT in their pronouncements? Just ask them. They'll tell you straight up that they're the smartest people on the planet and we should just do as they tell us mere peons.
DeleteNemo
Seattle is doing the same thing, unsure if it has actually been implemented.
ReplyDeleteI have seen drastic swings in not only utility costs, but in appliances.
ReplyDeleteAnywhere we live I make to sure to install both electric AND gas hookups.
I have gas. I should redefine that. I always have gas. Still not right. Ahem, my house has gas for cooking, heat and water heater. Love it.
ReplyDeleteMy electric supplier is not PG&E, it's the other one. Zero outages and reasonable rates. Guess I'm lucky for now.
To find out how lucky you are, check your bill. I just got my latest PG&E bill and the Tier 1 rate is just under 26 cents per KwH. It's the first time in a while there hasn't been a month over month increase.
DeleteI live in Michigan. I use Gas for cooking and water heater. Our clothes dryer is electric, unfortunately. Next time I replace my dryer, it will be with a gas model, and I will have a line run for it. The cost savings alone, will be well worth it.
ReplyDeleteGas for cooking and for the standby home generator because you'll always have an oven and range to cook on and gas/diesel has issues that LP doesn't.
ReplyDeleteAn emp, solar flare, china/Iran or the green new deal - I'm not going to give up LP.
I think they should force solar on everyone. Retroactively too. Then I'll buy some solar company stock.
ReplyDeleteDo Californians get electricity from ("off-shore") plants in Utah?
ReplyDeleteCoal-fired generators?
Coal trucked in 24/7 by semi-trailer and trains?
Delusional.
What happens after chinese hackers shut-down the diesel supply so trucks and trains are stopped?
What happens after the plant employees cannot acquire fuel to get to work?
Delusional.
First, they came for the wood fireplaces and I did not speak out because I did not have a wood fireplace...
ReplyDeletePssst Mums the woid, Don't tell Californians, almost, all of their electricity comes from fossil fuels. When they charge their cars they think electricity somehow miraculously comes out of a lil box.
ReplyDeleteI agree with chillhill on propane. I have a gas range and gas fireplace. I just sold a home that was whole house solar but no batteries. Pulled from the grid at night but pool and hot water were on a timer. They shut off when the sun went down.
Also, whole house propane generator.
DeleteFine with me AFTER he California planning agency dies in the gas chamber.
ReplyDelete