Follow-up on Previous Articles

Keep Your Pots Off My Gas Stove!

The Department of Energy (DOE) has now gotten involved with the war on gas stoves aiming to please more people. The proposed efficiency regulation, the first of its kind, went into effect January 31^st and will be finalized January 2024. Currently half of all gas stoves sold in the US do not comply with the new proposed regulation. If this regulation goes into effect only one type of gas stove will be allowed. The specific stove will have to have at least one high-input rate (HIR) burner and continuous cast iron grates.  The industry will have to adapt to meet these criteria. The DOE is also working on efficiency standards for electrical distribution transformers, washing machines and refrigerators. Keep your hands out of my washing machine and will my gas fireplace be next?

The goal of this regulation is to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions, but according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) natural gas is three times cheaper to cook with and 38% of Americans cook on a gas stove.

The US Senate and the industry are fighting back. Only time will tell who is allowed to cook on my stove.

Natural Gas a Political Hot Potato

The governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, is blaming the high costs of utilities on Xcel Energy due to their recovery cost of buying natural gas in 2021. He wants the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to reign in the costs which the CPUC voted to approve in 2021. This is the same governor that wants to eliminate natural gas and go to electricity. Denver citizens are complaining loudly now about the high costs which will only increase if electricity is the only option.

Xcel Energy is the largest utility company in the state, with 1.5 million natural gas customers and 2600 miles of transmission and distribution lines. Meanwhile Excel is erecting wind turbines and solar farms for electricity. By 2030 it plans to reduce its emissions from its natural gas systems by 25%. The company has sought approval from the CPUC regulators for fossil fuel investments. Also, the company has contributed financially to a group called Coloradans for Energy Access. They along with several commerce and trade groups have joined forces. They believe each community should make their own choice instead of “forced electrification”. For some small towns the conversion costs are unaffordable.  The group (Twitter page: @COEnergyAccess) is monitoring the situation.

EV World

By 2022 year-end, EVs had become more expensive to charge than fueling gas powered cars because of falling gas prices. Also some EV owners experience charging problems.

A Bolt EV customer had charging problems, so he complained to GM. GM issued a statement summarizing how the vehicle works when using a GM approved charger at both home and at a certified GM dealership. GM is not responsible for charging concerns when using a non-GM approved public charging station. Therefore, before you head out on the road make sure to locate where all the certified GM dealerships are.