As a wave of local governments in California roll out policies that promote the electrification of buildings, the state’s energy regulators have been saddled with a complicated task: planning for the future of its natural gas system. Around 30 cities in California have passed building codes that reduce their reliance on gas, according to the Sierra Club. But gas utilities service more than 11 million customers in California, the majority of which are in the Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and Pacific Gas & Electric territories. And natural gas plays a key role in maintaining grid reliability. Even in a “high building electrification scenario,” there will still be millions of customers on California’s gas system by 2050. RNG, hydrogen and other options will have a significant role. More >>
