More than two dozen local government officials in California recently signed a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to back a statewide all-electric mandate for all new building construction.
This action is needed, the officials say, after a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling this year nullified the city of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas hookups on new buildings. In 2019, Berkeley became the first U.S. city to ban gas in new buildings for all uses including heating and hot water.
Currently, more than 75 California municipalities have “a form of building electrification requirement in place via their local codes,” according to a letter from the officials to Newsom.
The Berkeley decision could be reversed in court, but that could take several years. In the meantime, local electrification requirements are at risk of being overturned in court.
“Without your administration stepping in … many municipalities will be forced to backtrack on progress cutting emissions from buildings, due to insufficient resources to fight frivolous and opportunistic lawsuits,” the letter reads. “The best path forward in light of recent legal challenges is to follow the lead of local jurisdictions and pursue statewide implementation of common-sense clean emission measures for buildings.”
Related Stories
| Oct 3, 2013
Bipartisan energy efficiency bill stalled; may not be revived this year
The Senate spent the first two weeks of September trying to pass bipartisan energy efficiency legislation, commonly known as Shaheen-Portman (S. 1392) that would have impacted building codes.
| Oct 3, 2013
LEED credential exams will feature LEED v4 material beginning next spring
The LEED Professional Credential exams for the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP with specialty designations will feature LEED v4 material beginning in late spring 2014.
| Sep 26, 2013
Ballot period on National CAD Standards open until Oct. 13
The Ballot Comment Period to update the nation’s leading computer-aided design (CAD) standard is now open.
| Sep 26, 2013
OSHA encourages comments on respirable crystalline silica rules
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rulemaking for respirable crystalline silica has been published in the Federal Register.
| Sep 26, 2013
EPA’s final rule on updated ASTM standard likely to be withdrawn
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to withdraw a direct final ruleissued in Augustregarding an ASTM standard for Phase I Environmental Site.
| Sep 26, 2013
A primer on RoofPoint green-rating system for commercial roofs
The RoofPoint green-rating system can be used to construct more energy-efficient and sustainable commercial roofs.
| Sep 26, 2013
ConsensusDocs releases updated federal subcontract to help construction firms perform federal work
The newly revised ConsensusDocs standard subcontract (ConsensusDocs 752 for federal work) will make it easier for general contractors and subcontractors to perform federal work.
| Sep 18, 2013
Proposed Boston casino development approval will depend partly on sustainability
The movement toward green building has been slow to catch on in the casino industry, but that could change with Suffolk Downs, which plans to build a $1 billion casino in Boston.
| Sep 18, 2013
Regulations could ease firefighters’ fear of roof solar panels
The local fire chief says solar panels are partly to blame after a 300,000 sf refrigerated warehouse in Delanco, N.J., burned down.
| Sep 18, 2013
New AISC design guide on structural stainless steel now available
For the first time in the U.S., design professionals now have an authoritative resource on structural stainless steel with AISC Steel Design Guide No. 27, Structural Stainless Steel.
