I've used electric appliances all my life, so I personally wouldn't be upset at not having gas. However, California has had a particularly bad track record of reliable electricity delivery.
How were you not using a gas water heater 15 years ago?
I'm not sure how to answer this. I grew up in a place where natural gas wasn't commonly used. There was no gas utility to pipe it to your home, so you'd have to buy your own tank. Virtually no one did this, so we relied on electric for everything.