Environment & Energy

... as people replace gas furnaces and water heaters with modern heat pumps.

If gas is used primarily to cook with, and not for heating, residential gas distribution will become unprofitable. I can easily imagine a future where residential gas distribution systems are abandoned forcing people who insist on cooking with gas to buy it in bottles. Most people won't bother, especially if energy companies subsidize the installation of inductive stove tops.

This bottled gas people cook with might not be propane or butane. It could be dimethyl ether that's synthesized from carbon dioxide using nuclear power.

My wife is a "cooking with gas" person who insisted we replace our failing contractor's special gas range with a new gas range, even though I do 90% or more of the cooking in our house. I almost bought an inductive range without consulting her, but wasn't willing to face her wrath. Near as I can tell "cooking with gas" is a religious belief. My brother who is has owned restaurants and worked as a cook professionally also insists on gas. He has a huge antique gas range in his own kitchen that's all black iron and nickel and weighs as much as a small car.