It seems a lucky break that the Zoning and Planning Committee postponed a vote on joining the Ten Communities Program, which would mandate that all new construction run only on electricity instead of gas, oil or coal.

This delay may give our councilors an opportunity to rethink this impractical and senseless proposal. Natural gas is one of the cleanest energy sources, cleaner even than solar or wind, when the construction of solar panels and windmills is factored in. Natural gas is so abundant that the U.S. is currently the biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

The electric grid in the U.S., and particularly in the Northeast, is already strained. It uses gas-fired power stations to cover unusually high demand. We all are very familiar with (electric) power outages due to storms, fallen trees, traffic accidents or just excess demand due to weather conditions. Gas pipes, meanwhile, are safely underground and gas is plentiful. If EV mandates should ever become the law, things will really get bad.

Would homebuyers prefer an exclusively electric home? Would these homes be competitive?? Would they come with a (bottled-gas-fired) emergency generator???

Time to contact your councilor.

Traute Marshall,

West Newton

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