Committee Goals

The Green Buildings committee has the following goals: 1) promote efficiency and electrification of buildings, 2) work in coalition with other organizations and stakeholders to encourage local cities to follow the lead of other cities around the state in phasing out gas appliances affordably and equitably, and 3) conduct outreach to community-based organizations about the health hazards of #CookingWithGas, and how #CookingWithMagnets outperforms gas in every way.

Join The Campaign For Zero-Emission Appliance Standards

The South Coast AQMD must strengthen its gas water heater and gas furnace emission rules to set a zero-emission standard. The agency, which covers all of Los Angeles County as well as Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, currently requires low NOx space and water heating. Similar to vehicle fuel standards, zero-emission rules would set stricter standards at the manufacturer level over time but not require individuals to purchase clean appliances. And existing appliances would not be impacted.

Join the Campaign for Clean Air at AQMD!

Home Electrification Resources

Our committee has co-hosted a virtual workshop on how to replace your gas-powered home appliances with clean and efficient electric appliances.

We offered practical tips about how to minimize the upfront cost with rebates and incentives, how to find a contractor, and what to do if you’re a renter.

The recording and many of the resources we shared are on our website.

SIGN UP For Our Green Building Updates

Sign up to get periodic updates on building electrification around Los Angeles and the registration link for our next committee call.

Sign up using the form below, which also opts into the chapter’s general email list.

Confronting the Climate Crisis Requires Equitable Building Electrification

In California, about 25% of greenhouse gas emissions come from our buildings. To eliminate these emissions, we need energy efficiency, a renewable electricity grid, and elimination of gas-burning appliances.

To eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, we will need to replace all gas-powered appliances, a massive retrofit effort. This will be a huge job creator, but also very expensive.

Our committee believes an equitable solution means making sure everyone, including renters and people in lower-income neighborhoods, are able to benefit from this transition. That's why we are advocating for an inclusive process to identify the best, most equitable and affordable pathways to transition.

Read more…

Gas Transition Planning

A really important aspect of green buildings is the future of the methane gas distribution pipeline network. The United States has over 2 million miles of gas pipelines, and when gas utilities replace those, they typically spend $3 million to $4 million per mile and socialize those costs over all ratepayers. Pipelines’ expected service lives are about 50 years … and yet California’s climate goals codified in state law require us to “Ensure that by 2045, statewide anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to at least 85 percent below the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limit established pursuant to Section 38550.” [AB 1279 (Muratsuchi), 2022].

Since 2020, this realization has resulted in 14 states opening formal public utilities commission dockets on Gas Transition Planning, in order to minimize the risk of stranded assets and the resultant increase to ratepayers’ gas bills.

Resources