It seems a lucky break that the Zoning and Planning committee postponed its vote on joining
the Ten Communities Program, which mandates 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 the cleanest of the traditional energy sources. Natural gas is so abundant that
the US is currently the biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Wind and solar create many
negative environmental impacts, due to the raw materials, manufacturing, installation, land
requirements, noise and heat emission. The gas infrastructure is already in place.
The electric grid, 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, or excess demand due to weather conditions. Gas pipes meanwhile
are safely underground.
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