GREEN BUILDINGS COMMITTEE

LA County To Consider Building Electrification Motion

March 14, 2022

LA County may be jumping on the building electrification bandwagon! Tomorrow, the Board of Supervisors will consider a motion brought by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Holly Mitchell that tasks the Office of Public Works with providing a recommendation "for an ordinance or building code changes that would phase out the use of natural gas equipment and appliances in all new residential and commercial construction and substantial renovations, where feasible, starting in 2023." The motion also directs the county Sustainability Office to hold stakeholder process to study ways to remove greenhouse gas emissions from both new and existing buildings.

The Board of Supervisors motion echos two recent LA City building electrification proposals, the first of which passed earlier this month. Like that motion, the Board of Supervisors motion gives staff (in this case the Sustainability Office), 120 days to conduct a stakeholder engagement process on approaches to removing gas appliances from both new and existing buildings in a way that protects low-income utility customers, supports workers, that prevents unintended consequences on housing affordability and availability, and that ensures the resiliency of the energy system.

Meanwhile, in the City of Los Angeles, the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) has begun holding workshops on Equitable Building Decarbonization. LA County's Sustainability Office is participating in CEMO's stakeholder process, so it may share the results of that process rather than conduct a separate process. The first two CEMO workshop sessions have taken place, but you may be able to sign up for future sessions using this form, although space is limited.

- Michael Rochmes
Chair, Green Buildings Committee

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