Excellent article! I want to add one more example of the American Gas Associations tactics here related to the preemption stuff, which you probably already know about but maybe others don't.
Essentially trade groups, including the AGA, have major influence over the organization that sets the building codes used widely around the entire world, the International Code Council. And over the past decade plus, they have used their weight to ensure new building codes only have marginal increases in energy efficiency, and no major electrification provisions that remove fossil fuel usage entirely, mainly gas.
But it turns out cities and towns have the ability to vote on codes, and as climate became a larger concern there was an effort to use that power to have a substantial increase in energy efficiency and lower methane gas usage.
So trade groups did the "reasonable" thing and eliminated the ability for cities and local governments to vote on the building codes they have to implement and have expertise in. Which may have been useful because it could have possibly made the problem of states preempting local city councils from greener codes moot, if the state base building code was already greener.
This may sound terrible but I do have to admit I laughed at this. Fossil fuel trade groups complaining of others of manipulation by special interests.
"Among the organizations that have backed the voting change are some of the nation’s largest and most powerful industry lobbies, including Leading Builders of America, the American Gas Association and the National Association of Home Builders. They say the get-out-the-vote campaign that led to the biggest turnout in ICC voting history amounted to “manipulation” by “special interests.”"
I also think stories like this speak to what I believe you emphasize as a theme in all of your writing. That the climate crisis touches so much of society that no matter the profession or interest, one can make a difference. Architects and city council officials aren't usually seen as the front line people for climate action, but in this instance there was the potential to really change a key source of emissions, and the issue isn't resolved so there may be hope there.
Note also that National Grid is a member of the misinformation-spreading front group "New Yorkers for Affordable Energy," which has attacked climate policy in New York at every opportunity. https://energyandpolicy.org/new-yorkers-for-affordable-energy/
Thank you for this helpful article, Emily! I am a customer of both National Grid and ConEd and shared my frustration with both organizations about this accordingly.
Hundreds of millions should read this journalism. All the signs and portents of impending climate doom are manifesting. I do not understand why environmental evolution regarding human activities and consumption is not the number one priority globally. We are all going to suffer or perish if climate issues are not addressed.
Excellent article! I want to add one more example of the American Gas Associations tactics here related to the preemption stuff, which you probably already know about but maybe others don't.
Essentially trade groups, including the AGA, have major influence over the organization that sets the building codes used widely around the entire world, the International Code Council. And over the past decade plus, they have used their weight to ensure new building codes only have marginal increases in energy efficiency, and no major electrification provisions that remove fossil fuel usage entirely, mainly gas.
But it turns out cities and towns have the ability to vote on codes, and as climate became a larger concern there was an effort to use that power to have a substantial increase in energy efficiency and lower methane gas usage.
So trade groups did the "reasonable" thing and eliminated the ability for cities and local governments to vote on the building codes they have to implement and have expertise in. Which may have been useful because it could have possibly made the problem of states preempting local city councils from greener codes moot, if the state base building code was already greener.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/climate-green-building-codes_n_60381e23c5b60d98bec8dc7d
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/building-codes-international-code-council_n_603fd6b4c5b682971504df8e
This may sound terrible but I do have to admit I laughed at this. Fossil fuel trade groups complaining of others of manipulation by special interests.
"Among the organizations that have backed the voting change are some of the nation’s largest and most powerful industry lobbies, including Leading Builders of America, the American Gas Association and the National Association of Home Builders. They say the get-out-the-vote campaign that led to the biggest turnout in ICC voting history amounted to “manipulation” by “special interests.”"
I also think stories like this speak to what I believe you emphasize as a theme in all of your writing. That the climate crisis touches so much of society that no matter the profession or interest, one can make a difference. Architects and city council officials aren't usually seen as the front line people for climate action, but in this instance there was the potential to really change a key source of emissions, and the issue isn't resolved so there may be hope there.
Maybe I missed it in the article, but here's a link to all the municipal and public utilities who are AGA members: https://www.aga.org/research-policy/resource-library/annual-report-of-volumes-revenues-and-customers-by-company-2002-2020/ I found this information really helpful in the electric utility association you previously published--thanks for all the great reporting!
The UK is adopting the trade industry approach and influencing Rishi Sunak’s gas & oil policies.
A potential crack in AGA's armor? At this point, I'll take it.
I hope - that hope, along with forcing changes from our other utility providers here, is all we've got, right?
Note also that National Grid is a member of the misinformation-spreading front group "New Yorkers for Affordable Energy," which has attacked climate policy in New York at every opportunity. https://energyandpolicy.org/new-yorkers-for-affordable-energy/
Thank you for this helpful article, Emily! I am a customer of both National Grid and ConEd and shared my frustration with both organizations about this accordingly.
Hundreds of millions should read this journalism. All the signs and portents of impending climate doom are manifesting. I do not understand why environmental evolution regarding human activities and consumption is not the number one priority globally. We are all going to suffer or perish if climate issues are not addressed.
If the utilities plan to replace gas with nuclear, then they're just trading one type of sociopathy for another.