{"id":2154245,"date":"2024-01-19T19:49:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-20T00:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-lights-controversy-with-push-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings\/"},"modified":"2024-01-19T19:50:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-20T00:50:55","slug":"chicago-lights-controversy-with-push-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-lights-controversy-with-push-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy in Chicago over banning natural gas in new buildings"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fchicago-lights-controversy-with-push-to-ban-natural-gas-in-new-buildings%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2154245&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Chicago City Council Considers \u2063Banning Natural Gas in New Buildings to Combat Climate Change<\/h2>\n<p>The Chicago\u2062 City\u200b Council is set to discuss\u2063 a groundbreaking ordinance that aims to prohibit the use of natural gas \u200bin most\u2063 new buildings \u2062in the city. This initiative, known\u200c as the \u200bClean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance, \u200bis being championed by Ald. Maria \u200dHadden,\u2062 who plans to\u200d introduce it\u2064 on \u200cJanuary 24th. The proposed \u200dordinance would establish an emission standard that natural\u200b gas currently\u2064 fails\u2062 to meet, paving the way for the\u200c adoption of electric heating and \u2064appliances that would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-announces-new-rules-targeting-oil-gas-industries-amid-projected-energy-price-increases\/\" title=\"Biden Admin introduces rules to tackle rising energy prices in oil and gas sectors\">significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Ald. Maria \u2063Hadden emphasized the urgency of this measure, stating, &#8220;This is a\u2062 matter of real survival and the future of our city \u2014 and especially\u2064 our economic future.\u2062 We&#8217;re being forced\u200c in this direction\u200d by nature,\u2064 but also\u2064 by policy and by business and industry. People are making these decisions because\u2063 it&#8217;s economical, it&#8217;s healthier, it&#8217;s\u2062 safer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Key Provisions of the Ordinance<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The ordinance would prohibit \u2062the combustion \u2062of any substance that emits 25\u200b kilograms or\u2062 more of carbon dioxide per million British\u2064 thermal units of energy.<\/li>\n<li>Some buildings and equipment, such as hospitals, laboratories, backup generators, and commercial cooking\u2064 equipment, would be exempt from the new emissions standard.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Supporters \u2064of the ordinance include\u200b consumer advocates concerned about high gas bills, \u200bas well \u2064as environmentalists and the Illinois Green Alliance, a\u2064 group that supports the\u200b state&#8217;s green\u2063 building industry.<\/p>\n<p>Citizens Utility Board \u200cExecutive \u200cDirector Sarah \u2063Moskowitz highlighted the potential cost savings\u200b for Chicago residents if they transition\u200b to all-electric homes. According to a 2022 analysis \u2062by the\u200b Natural Resources Defense Council, residents could \u200bsave approximately $11,000 to $24,000 over 20 years by going all-electric.<\/p>\n<p>Chicago is joining a growing list of cities across the\u200b United \u200dStates that are embracing electric appliances\u2064 and heat in new buildings to meet local,\u2064 state, and national climate goals. \u2064Cities like New York, Los Angeles, and many smaller cities have already passed\u2064 ordinances that limit or prohibit the use\u2062 of natural gas in\u2063 new buildings.<\/p>\n<h3>Opposing\u200c Views<\/h3>\n<p>The American Gas Association expressed concerns about the potential ban on natural gas, emphasizing its role in meeting environmental and economic goals. American Gas Association \u200bPresident and CEO \u200dKaren Harbert stated,\u2064 &#8220;From providing affordable energy to \u200cconsumers \u200cto driving down emissions, the benefits\u2063 this fuel has for our \u200cnation are \u2063tangible and \u2062impossible to ignore.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Peoples Gas, a natural gas utility\u200c in \u2064Chicago, strongly opposes the ordinance, \u200dcalling it a &#8220;terrible idea for Chicago.&#8221; They argue that all-electric heat \u2063would\u200b be significantly more expensive for \u2063residents compared to natural gas, and that renewable energy currently only accounts for less than\u200b 4% of \u2064the city&#8217;s energy on any\u2064 given day.<\/p>\n<p>ComEd, the electricity provider\u200b for northern\u200b Illinois, reported that \u2063it\u200d receives 42% of\u2062 its electricity from natural gas, 33% from nuclear power, 18% from coal, 4% from wind, \u200d1% from solar, and 1% from\u2063 hydropower.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u200b differing opinions, the Chicago City Council&#8217;s consideration of this ordinance\u2062 reflects \u2062the growing recognition \u200cof the\u200d need to transition \u200caway from \u200cnatural gas in order \u200dto \u2063combat\u200c climate change and create a more sustainable future.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the implementation of the Clean\u200d and Affordable Buildings \u200cOrdinance\u200c in Chicago\u200b align with the larger trend of cities taking action to combat climate change and promote <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ice-moves-to-dhs-headquarters-with-expanded-300m-dc-makeover\/\" title=\"ICE relocates to DHS HQ, undergoes 0M DC expansion.\">sustainable building practices<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><span>  Orts \u200csustainable building practices. They argue that \u2062transitioning to electric heating and appliances is not only better for \u2064the environment, but also\u2063 more cost-effective in the long\u2064 run. They \u200cpoint to studies that show\u200d electric systems can be cheaper to \u200binstall \u200band maintain, \u200cas well \u200bas \u200dmore reliable and efficient than natural \u200dgas systems.<\/p>\n<p>However, there are also opponents \u2062of the \u200dordinance who argue that it \u200dcould be a burden on low-income residents who rely on natural gas for heating and cooking. They worry that\u2063 the transition to electric systems could\u2063 lead \u200dto\u2063 higher energy costs and potentially force residents to make\u2062 sacrifices in other areas of their \u2064lives. They also argue that natural gas is a reliable and \u2063abundant \u2064energy \u200bsource that\u2063 plays a vital role in meeting the energy\u200c needs\u200d of the city.<\/p>\n<p>The debate surrounding the ordinance\u200b brings to light the larger \u200cissue of how cities\u200d can effectively address climate change. While reducing greenhouse \u200bgas emissions is crucial, it&#8217;s\u2063 important to consider the potential impacts \u2063on residents, particularly \u200cthose who may be economically vulnerable. In order to ensure a just \u200band equitable transition, stakeholders must work together to find solutions that prioritize both the \u200cenvironment and the well-being of \u200ball residents.<\/p>\n<p>If the Clean and Affordable Buildings \u2062Ordinance is passed, Chicago would join a growing list of cities that \u2063have taken similar actions to combat climate change. Cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and \u2062Los\u200b Angeles have already\u200d implemented regulations or set goals to phase \u2063out\u200b natural gas in new buildings. This movement\u2063 reflects a larger trend towards \u200dsustainable building practices and a recognition of the urgent need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/buttigieg-grilled-on-damaging-ev-subsidies-amid-auto-industry-turmoil\/\" title=\"Buttigieg questioned about 'harmful' EV subsidies amidst auto industry chaos.\">reduce greenhouse gas\u2063 emissions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2063Chicago City Council&#8217;s consideration \u2063of this\u200d groundbreaking ordinance signals the city&#8217;s commitment to addressing climate change and creating a more sustainable \u200cfuture. By taking bold actions such \u2064as\u2064 banning natural gas in new buildings, Chicago can set an\u200b example for other cities to follow and help lead the way\u2064 towards a\u2063 greener and more \u200bresilient future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chicago City Council plans to introduce an ordinance next week, proposed by Ald. Maria Hadden, aiming to combat climate change by prohibiting the use of natural gas in most new buildings. The Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance seeks to make the Windy City more environmentally friendly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2154245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2154245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2154245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2154245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2154245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}