DATE: November 14, 2022
TO: Council Sustainability Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Title
Existing Building Electrification Efforts - Information and Discussion
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) reviews and comments on this report.
End
SUMMARY
Natural gas use in existing buildings accounts for about 22% of the City’s community-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Common appliances in buildings that use natural gas include stoves, water heaters, and furnaces. The City is in the process of updating its Climate Action Plan (CAP) to establish policies and programs needed to meet the GHG reduction targets adopted by Council. Policies and programs that address the GHG emissions from natural gas in existing buildings will be included within the CAP. In support of the City’s CAP update, from September 2021 to June 2022, staff participated in a workshop series hosted by RMI (formerly the Rocky Mountain Institute) and Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) for local governments and community-based organizations (CBOs) to partner in the co-creation of equitable electrification solutions for existing homes. The City partnered with the Local Clean Energy Alliance (LCEA) which helped identified key equity issues, such as language barriers and the need for tenant protections before any new policy is implemented. LCEA also helped identify keys to success, such as working closely with the Housing Division and focusing outreach on health and comfort benefits. At the end of the workshop series, LCEA was awarded a grant of $10,000 to continue to work with the City to engage with community stakeholders to ensure that all policies in the updated CAP pertaining to existing building electrification are equitable and align with community needs.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report