To the editor: Reading this article could lead one to believe that banning gas appliances, such as water heaters and space heaters, and replacing them with electric appliances would eliminate 100% of NOx emissions from gas appliances (“Regulators seek to phase out gas-powered appliances in Southern California,” June 4). This is not true, because natural gas is used to generate electricity in California — in 2023, it made up 43.68% of our generating energy, according to the California Energy Commission.
I think this Air Quality Management District initiative to phase out gas appliances should be postponed until such time as 0% of California’s energy is generated with fossil fuels. And since the cost to convert from gas to electric is substantial considering the costs of new appliances, installations and upgrades of household electric panels, the state and AQMD should rebate all of these conversion costs to households. If this AQMD initiative is deemed by the state to be crucial, then it should pay for its implementation.
Greg Zebrowski, Manhattan Beach
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To the editor: There are two problems with adopting electric water heaters. One is retrofitting the supply, probably not an issue with new construction but a serious consideration when substituting gas for electricity. The other is paying for that electricity. Our utilities have made electricity so expensive that, even with solar panels mitigating some of the cost, appliances that use significant power are a luxury to be used only where necessary. The AQMD needs to focus on these practical problems instead of the chimera of targets. Any fool can mandate a percentage figure and so appear to be doing something, but it takes finesse to find practical solutions that don’t themselves create new problems.
Martin Usher, Thousand Oaks
