• AutoTL;DRB
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    111 months ago

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    The initiatives are part of gas interests’ decades-long effort to capture builders, contractors and real estate agents – trusted figures to homebuyers and developers – according to an investigation by the Guardian.

    David Roy, senior communications director for the utility, said the program, which will come to an end this month, was created in response to the state’s building codes, which NW Natural found “problematic”, in part because they do not account for emissions from the production of electricity, “which from a climate perspective is a nonsensical position to be taking”.

    But studies show efficient electric appliances are less emissions-intensive than their gas-powered counterparts, and environmental advocates, including in Washington state, have long paired electrification policies with attempts to decarbonize the grid.

    “The natural gas utilities have invested heavily in reducing emissions, making methane leak reduction a top priority,” said Sonia Vahedian, executive director of Energy Solutions Center, in an email.

    In 2018, five utility companies in the US south – Atmos, DTE, Duke, Spire and Southern – collaborated on a reception for builders, complete with a swanky meal and tickets to a show, they say in a recording heard by the Guardian.

    After finding a link between gas stoves and indoor air pollution, the trade group sponsored shows hosted by Pépin’s frequent collaborator Julia Child, as well as actors Mary Tyler Moore and Doris Day, Rebecca Leber recently reported.


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