Consumers, ditch natural gas and help the planet

In “Illinois Commerce Commission steps up for natural gas customers” last month, the Sun-Times Editorial Board rightly celebrated the Illinois Commerce Commission for denying local gas utilities a requested rate hike that would have disproportionately hurt lower-income residents and recommitted everyone to a costly long-term investment in yesterday’s energy source.

The atmospheric emissions of methane from the production, storage, transportation and combustion of natural gas fuels global climate change even more powerfully than carbon dioxide.

The gas industry would have us believe that their product is part of the “solution” to climate change, but it’s only fueling it. And we can’t wait for a gradual transition: 2023 was the hottest year on record, and extreme weather events have become commonplace. As recently reported in the Sun-Times, Lake Michigan was almost ice-free — in early January. Climate change is not a future problem.

Consumers can do their part to ditch gas and its toxic methane emissions. If you have a clothes dryer, water heater, stove or furnace due for replacement, switch to an electric appliance, such as an induction stove or a heat pump dryer, water heater or HVAC system. Your home’s indoor air will be healthier, and these more efficient appliances cost less to run.

More benefits? Heat pump HVAC systems heat and cool more evenly for greater comfort. Restaurant chefs are sharing their love for induction cooking because it’s ultra-fast, allows precision control and keeps commercial kitchens cooler. And while the up-front costs of electric appliances may be somewhat higher (for now), rebates and federal tax credits will help: Check them out at energystar.

gov/rebate-finder. The benefits to the environment? Priceless.

Wendy Greenhouse, Oak Park