So, I'm really surprised this is still a debate (other than how quickly to subsidize the changeover).

I thought the old heat pump/air conditioner myths had been busted long ago.

In e.g. the Netherlands and Germany people buy heat pumps (of which air conditioners are a subset) to save money and the environment.

It's all about Coefficient Of Performance. A modern reversible unit heats and cools two to five times as efficiently as comparable (resistive; COP=1) electrical heating.

In most of Europe, it's efficient enough to run on rooftop solar energy for half to three quarters of the year. Combined with decent insulation your net power usage can be very low indeed. Some of the newest ambitious house designs being built today even hit net zero. That wouldn't be possible without an aircon/heat pump as part of the design.

There's also a strategic angle. Do you want to heat your home with gas that's ever more tricky to come by, or would you prefer efficient electric heating that can come from any source including preferably renewables?

And of course the summer bonus: If you do have solar panels, you get to cool your home almost for free in summer, since summer solar production happens to coincide with summer heat.