California wants people to switch to all-electric appliances. But what happens when the power goes out?

Source: San Francisco Chronicle  |  By Claire Hao

California has ambitious plans for an all-electric future: No natural gas power plants are to be built. The state will ban the sale of new natural gas-fueled heaters by 2030, with Bay Area regulators looking to end sales even earlier. By 2035, Californians for the most part will not be able to buy new gasoline-powered cars.

“Microgrids are very expensive, and generally, our experiences are that they are more likely to be set up in communities that are more well-to-do. There’s only so much redundancy and double-building that you can do and still keep the rates affordable,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a nonprofit that advocates for cheaper utility bills.