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The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago,
calls Senate Bill 3935 the Clean and Healthy Buildings Act.
“We must reduce pollution in our buildings and we must begin a
managed transition away from dirty, expensive gas to more
affordable clean energy solutions,” said Villanueva.
The subject has created a deep divide among Chicagoans after the
idea was floated to the city council. Ald. Gilbert Villegas said
it is much more expensive to heat a home with electricity.
“During the winter’s frigid temperatures, with tens of thousands
of Chicagoans left without electricity, now is the worst
possible time to hastily slam through an ordinance without
examining true costs,” said Villegas.
Villegas added that a natural gas ban would cause the cost of
electricity to spike, hurting low-income Illinoisans the most.
The first natural gas ban in the country was in California, but
it was preempted by federal law, setting the stage for more
legal fights around the country.
The city of Palo Alto, California, amended its building code to
require that every new building be all electric. But the city
has since rescinded the requirement in the wake of the Berkeley
decision. It could be a precursor of more municipalities
dropping similar all-electric requirements.
“Natural gas has been one of the primary drivers for achieving
environmental progress, and any ban on this foundation fuel will
saddle consumers with significant costs for little environmental
gain," said the American Gas Association in a statement.
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