Here's the first U.S. city to cut gas and oil for all-electric, on the path to zero carbon emissions

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Ithaca, the upstate New York city of about 30,000, known for Cornell University and the natural beauty of its gorges, will be the first in the country to try to decarbonize every last one of its buildings by switching to electric power.

Decarbonization, or eliminating all heat-trapping carbon emissions generated by fossil fuels, will be funded through private investment, grants and rebates. The conversion takes on everything from how a building is heated — pushing heat pumps over natural gas and heating oil — to how appliances run.

Ithaca has some 6,000 commercial buildings, multifamily and single-family homes, schools, government facilities and more. The existing energy code in the city already bans natural-gas hookups in new construction and major renovations; similar rules are in place in California.

The city’s intention is to move away from oi l and natural gas which scientists and policy makers blame for heating up the Earth to an unsustainable level that risks even greater flooding, dangerous storms and pollution. Global leaders are in Glasgow right now for a U.N.-led effort, known as COP26, to shore up national and private-sector commitments to cut emissions and embrace renewable energy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/here-s-the-first-u-s-city-to-cut-gas-and-oil-for-all-electric-on-the-path-to-zero-carbon-emissions/ar-AAQktf2

[NNadir]

1. One would think that at Cornell, they know how electricity is generated in New York.

It's more marketing to disguise reality and pretend they give a shit about climate change.

They don't. New York is shutting Indian Point and raising the climate cost of electricity.

Perhaps there is a professor at Cornell who can explain the thermodynamics of electricity to them.

[jimfields33]

2. I have electric stove but I'm not a gormet chef

I’ve often wonder how the really great chefs are going to deal with electric stoves. That’s what I’m waiting for. Lol. Rachel ray trying one of her gourmet meals on an electric stove. Lol.

[hunter]

3. I've talked to a few people who like their inductive ranges...

... but I wasn't able to convince my wife it was preferable to gas.

Even though I do most of the cooking.

[Finishline42]

6. Maybe there's a good reason to shut down Indian Point

and it's 3 reactors that sit on the banks of the Hudson River 36 miles from Manhattan?

I mean besides the fact that construction started on the 1st reactor in 1956.

[abqtommy]

4. That's an excellent goal, but it all hinges on how the electricity used will be

generated.

[hunter]

5. Air pollution is the big issue here in California.

Our selection of gas furnaces and water heaters is limited to low emission models. The "bargain" gas water heaters (which were never a bargain to begin with) are no longer sold here.

Heat pump water heaters are in very short supply for a combination of reasons, including the port crisis, chip shortages, and greatly increased demand in new construction.

Most of the compressors used in these heat pumps are made in Asia, even the "Made in the U.S.A." models.

In other news, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stopped awarding "Energy Stars" to gas water heaters, but they are still rating them by efficiency.

My brother built a guest house / granny flat a few years with all the plumbing on the same wall. He used an instant electric water heater, one of the newer models with electronic temperature control. It works well, and there's little wait for hot water. It also takes up much less room than a forty gallon water heater would.

At this moment California is getting 75% of its power from renewables so that electric water heater is better than a gas water heater in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. When less renewable energy is available and most of California's energy is generated by gas, it's worse. In any case the air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions are displaced to the nearest fossil fuel plant.