By Steve Haner

Virginia’s General Assembly is being asked again to protect the use of natural gas and prohibit local government efforts to restrict or ban it in homes and businesses. A Senate bill pending at the 2025 session is backed by a large coalition which includes the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy and the Virginia Manufacturers Association.   

The sponsor of Senate Bill 944 is Senator Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach. It is similar to previous bills rejected in previous sessions on party line votes with legislative Democrats unified in opposition. But the 2025 Assembly represents a fair amount of member turnover since the last attempt.  

Underlining the devastating consumer impact should any locality actually force homeowners or businesses to switch away from natural gas, the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) has published an updated estimate of what it would cost for a single-family home to convert from gas to electricity: about $31,000.   

That is based on the average costs in Richmond to convert from gas to an electric heat pump, an electric range and oven, an electric water heater, and to upgrade the electric service panel box to support them. Not surprising given inflation, it is a significantly higher cost than CEA found with a similar report a few years ago. The new report  concludes:  

A ban or mandate to replace natural gas appliances could be potentially ruinous for many Virginians by hitting them with surprise bills. The additional costs for the replacement of natural gas appliances, remodeling, construction, wiring, and labor would be forced on homeowners and landlords, the latter of whom would pass them on to renters. 

More than four years ago the Richmond City Council passed a resolution calling for the end of that city’s municipal natural gas utility, which also serves its surrounding counties. Other localities, including Fairfax County, have discussed ending gas use or at least passing ordinances to prevent new gas connections.   

So far, no locality has taken those steps, however, perhaps because news of the Richmond vote caused some backlash. Gas is more common in urban areas and often in older neighborhoods, where a $31,000 contractor bill would be crushing. Also, localities in other states, in particular California, saw such ordinances struck down in the courts. 

But the desire to eventually ban any and all natural gas uses remains strong in climate activist environmental circles. It is a common feature in the fine print of many local “climate action plans,” especially for new construction. A new governor could be less supportive of gas choice than Governor Glenn Youngkin has been. It would make sense for the General Assembly to protect consumer choice with a law.   

The bill would also direct the Virginia Department of Energy to create an inventory of the many ways gas is being used in the state’s economy and the critical infrastructure needed to support it. That is information opponents of the fuel would hate to see compiled because it will demonstrate how widespread and vital that fuel has become.   

Individual Virginians who agree that protecting natural gas choices is important are encouraged to contact their legislators, both senators and delegates of either party, to express support for Senate Bill 944. If you don’t have their phone numbers or email already on your phones (you don’t?), the coalition supporting the bill has created this contact tool. Or you can use this handy “Who’s My Legislator” link the state provides and enter your address.  

Will this Assembly break the pattern and see at least a few Democrats vote to protect the use of gas in the neighborhoods they represent? The first step will need to be getting this bill clear of that first Senate committee, in this case Senate Rules. Hearing from the folks back home always matters.   

First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.