{"id":325327,"date":"2026-05-20T23:34:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T23:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/325327\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T23:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T23:34:14","slug":"democrats-in-sacramento-want-to-make-energy-even-pricier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/325327\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats in Sacramento want to make energy even pricier"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know how expensive gas has become in California<\/a> \u2014 and how much more expensive it is than in other states. Household energy prices are also rising dramatically.<\/p>\n

Now, Sacramento lawmakers are pushing\u00a0SB 1359, a sweeping new mandate that would make it harder, more expensive, and more legally risky to maintain California\u2019s natural gas<\/a> infrastructure \u2013 all in the name of meeting the state\u2019s aggressive\u00a0climate change agenda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The bill forces gas utilities to prove that any new infrastructure project aligns with California\u2019s 2045 carbon-neutrality mandate before construction can even begin. It also requires companies to create a costly \u201cGas Infrastructure Decommissioning Trust\u201d while simultaneously banning them from recovering those costs through rate increases.<\/p>\n

\"ASolar panels at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company\u2019s Vaca-Dixon solar energy site near Vacaville, Calif., Tuesday, April 12, 2011. AP<\/p>\n

In practice, SB 1359 is designed to force California away from natural gas and toward an all-electric future, whether consumers want it or not.<\/p>\n

That matters because millions of Californians still rely on natural gas for affordable and reliable energy. In 2024, natural gas generated more than\u00a0one-third<\/a>\u00a0of California\u2019s in-state electric supply. Yet instead of preserving a cheaper energy option, Sacramento is actively penalizing continued investment in gas infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The timing could not be worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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California already has some of the highest electricity prices in America. Residential electricity rates recently hovered around 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, roughly 74% above the national average.\u00a0At that same time, residential natural gas was around\u00a08 cents<\/a>\u00a0per kilowatt-hour in California. The United States Energy Information Administration projects that in 2027, California\u2019s electricity prices will be over\u00a0five times as high<\/a>\u00a0as its natural gas prices.<\/p>\n

If natural-gas companies aren\u2019t allowed to cover the cost of offering service through higher rates, those costs do not disappear. Faced with rising expenses and a hostile regulatory framework, natural-gas providers will have a strong incentive to scale back gas service sooner than market demand would otherwise dictate.<\/p>\n

Californians have already voiced\u00a0strong concerns<\/a>\u00a0about similar legislation, including\u00a0SB 1221<\/a>, warning that these policies threaten to eliminate consumer choice while driving utility bills even higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"RowA row of gray natural gas meters at an apartment complex. Kenishirotie \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Pushing more households toward a fully electric system while limiting investment in existing gas infrastructure leaves consumers with fewer options and higher costs. Those impacts are likely to fall hardest on low-income households, which spend a larger share of their income on energy.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the issue Sacramento continues to underestimate: reliability.<\/p>\n

California energy officials have already\u00a0warned<\/a>\u00a0of a weak grid during periods of high demand. Even with investments in wind, solar, and battery storage, the grid is\u00a0not positioned<\/a>\u00a0to absorb a forced, large-scale shift from gas to electricity.<\/p>\n

The bill also risks compounding California\u2019s housing affordability crisis. By requiring new developments to pay higher costs for gas connections starting in 2030, the bill would raise construction costs in areas that still rely on natural gas. Higher construction costs translate to higher home prices. In a state already struggling with housing costs, adding new regulatory burdens is not a wise policy position.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most concerningly, this proposal reflects a shift away from technology neutral utility regulation. Traditional energy policy has focused on delivering safe and reliable service, while allowing consumers and providers to determine how energy is used and what form it is delivered in. SB 1359 departs from that approach by embedding a politically preferred outcome into law and forcing the market toward it.<\/p>\n

Affordable, reliable energy is\u00a0not a luxury<\/a>. It is foundational to economic growth, business investment, housing affordability, and overall cost of living.<\/p>\n

SB 1359 asks Californians to accept higher costs, fewer choices, and growing reliability concerns in exchange for an energy transition whose full costs remain uncertain. If lawmakers are serious about affordability, they should not be phasing out one of the few comparatively affordable energy sources Californians still have.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sarah\u00a0Wagoner\u00a0is a Policy Analyst for Environmental and Energy Policy in the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at The Heritage Foundation.<\/p>\n

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