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San Francisco city leaders are pushing for a ban on natural gas in most new construction.
Instead of gas, the proposal would require all-electric in new construction when feasible.
One of those backing the ordinance is former San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.
“We’re big proponents of this because of the great risk that gas causes to the community and, in terms of the environment, just sustainability and resiliency over time,” Hayes-White told KCBS Radio.
While clean burning, natural gas is mostly methane, a greenhouse gas that scientists say is even more damaging than carbon dioxide, Hayes-White said her main concern is that fires fueled by natural gas are a public safety hazard.
“It's much more challenging to suppress a gas fueled fire,” she noted. “You cannot suppress it until the gas source is completely turned off.”
Ten years ago, a massive gas pipeline explosion virtually destroyed a neighborhood in San Bruno.
More than 30 cities in California, including Berkeley, have already taken steps to limit the use of natural gas in new buildings.