Editor,

Jill Eikenhorst is in a big hurry for us to reduce our use of natural gas, per her May 15 letter to the editor. In reality, we should be doing everything possible to increase the use of natural gas and reduce the use of coal and oil in generating power.

Natural gas is used to produce 40 percent of the nation’s electricity. It is a clean, efficient and economical fossil fuel. Its use in home appliances should be encouraged. It is far more efficient using it directly in a home appliance rather than converting it to electricity through power generation. Not to mention that no good cook would even consider cooking on an electric heating element where heat control is a guessing game.

Natural gas is also safer and more reliable than electricity. Most home fires are caused by faulty electrical wiring. Many forest fires are caused by electric transmission lines falling or transformers shorting. Natural gas lines are buried safely underground, while the vast majority of power lines are above ground and often prone to damage. The damage inevitably results in power outages. Power outages that will be exacerbated by the big push for electric powered vehicles. There is not going to be a good ending to that effort.

Add into this narrative the amount of money it is costing each and every taxpayer to promote the use of electricity. Those tax incentives to buy electric vehicles and solar installation are coming out of our pockets. Personally, I have no desire to help another person buy a car I can’t afford or install solar panels made in China. Just incidentally, solar panels without government subsidies will not recover their cost over the life of the panel.

Our country has enough natural gas to last for centuries, so no rush to eliminate it.

Although the current government administration seems hell bent on shutting it down and forcing us to rely on foreign sources. Just incidentally, I had a 30-year career with Sempra Energy, a San Diego-based owner of both gas and electric utilities. I know of what I speak.

I’m also asthmatic and can attest to the fact that living in a home mostly powered by natural gas will not worsen the condition. Not sure how Ms. Eikenhorst came up with that claim.

Bill Merrill

Coupeville