DATE: March 3, 2020
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Electrification Reach Codes: Adopt a Resolution and Introduce an Ordinance to Adopt Electrification Reach Codes for the 2019 California Energy Code and California Green Building Standards Code
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) and introduces an ordinance (Attachment III) to adopt electrification reach codes for the 2019 California Energy Code and California Green Building Standards Code.
SUMMARY
This report presents an ordinance to address the electrification of buildings and vehicles related to new construction. Every three years, the California Building Code undergoes a full update and the 2019 Code became effective on January 1, 2020. Local jurisdictions can implement codes that are more stringent than the State Code. These are known as “Reach Codes” and can address the electrification of buildings and vehicles at the time of construction of new buildings.
The proposed Reach Codes would modify Part 6 (California Energy Code) and Part 11 (California Green Building Standards Code, aka CALGreen) of the California Building Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations). This report includes an overview of the Statewide cost-effectiveness study, details findings, and provides recommended reach codes for the 2019 building cycle.
The Council Sustainability Committee reviewed this item at several Committee meetings including the September 17, 2019 and October 30, 2019 meetings, and recommended draft ordinances that would require:
• New low-rise residential (single-family and multi-family up to three stories) buildings be constructed as all-electric (with no natural gas plumbing);
• Non-residential and high-rise residential buildings be either all-electric or be constructed as mixed-fuel, but with extra energy efficiency, solar, and battery storage; and
• Additional electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in all new buildings.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Reach Code Ordinance
Attachment IV GHG and Cost Savings
Attachment V Editorial from Wall Street Journal
Attachment VI The Windsor Times: Town of Windsor Sued Over Reach Code
Attachment VII Comments Received