Fairfax officials are considering a ban on natural gas in new buildings, a move that would require stoves, heaters and other appliances to be powered by electricity.
“We know we have to, as a society, get off fossil fuels,” said Mayor Bruce Ackerman. “That’s a daunting thing to think about, and none of us can quite wrap our heads around how we’re going to do it. But if that’s where we’re going, then let’s begin by not building any more buildings that have fossil fuel infrastructure in them.”
The ban was proposed by the town’s Climate Action Committee, which said in a resolution to the Town Council that an all-electric building mandate would help Fairfax achieve its goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The goal was established when the council unanimously passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency in March 2019.
The ban could apply to new residential and commercial buildings. Town Manager Garrett Toy said the council can set parameters for which buildings would be subjected to the rule, but he suggested it include any construction project that involves demolishing 70% or more of a building. Existing buildings would be exempted, and the council could also consider making exceptions for commercial buildings, affordable residences or accessory apartments, Toy said.
The council has asked the town’s staff to prepare a report on natural gas bans adopted by other California cities and towns for review as Fairfax considers an ordinance.
“I’m looking forward to moving quickly on this,” said Councilman Chance Cutrano, “but also providing the general public with enough information.”
Toy said dozens of municipalities in California have passed ordinances that require or recommend electric appliances in new buildings. Some of those municipalities have faced lawsuits for such regulations, he said. The California Restaurant Association is suing Berkeley over its natural gas ban, which applies to new residential and commercial buildings.
The association said in a statement that it opposes Berkeley’s ban because it could raise the cost of building and operating a restaurant and could be detrimental to chefs who rely on gas to cook.
“Perhaps most worrisome is the question of how this ban will exacerbate the already damaging impact of ongoing, planned electricity blackouts meant to prevent wildfires,” the association said. “With California’s energy grid often under tremendous strain, a ban on gas appliances is not responsible, and its impact won’t be limited only to restaurants.”
In addition to Berkeley, which was the first city in the nation to enact a gas ban, Bay Area cities that have prohibitions on natural gas include Menlo Park, San Francisco and San Jose.
Beth Verdekal, a member of the Fairfax climate committee, urged the council to “take a stand and lead the way.”
“Global warming is a health and safety issue,” Verdekal said. “It’s much bigger than just our little tiny worlds wanting to cook something on a gas stove.”
Vice Mayor Stephanie Hellman, who also sits on the climate committee, said she’s in favor of following San Francisco’s approach, which bans natural gas in most new commercial and residential buildings but carves out an exemption for restaurants and other commercial kitchens.
“We absolutely should pursue the San Francisco model, as far as I’m concerned,” Hellman said. “Fairfax has been such a leader in this space and I fear that we’re sort of trailing now, and I’d like us to really pick it up a bit. So let’s stop lagging and start being a leader again.”
Ackerman said he favors an all-out ban on gas in new buildings. He said it’s less expensive to build a home that does not have natural gas capability.
“If you’re building a new building and you don’t bring gas plumbing through it at all, and you don’t have a gas meter at all, then that saves a considerable amount on the construction,” he said.
Ackerman said gas leaks are a major detriment to the environment, and building homes that use some electric appliances but still have gas lines doesn’t do as much to solve the issue.
“It’s biggest effect on climate is actually the gas itself that leaks throughout the system,” Ackerman said.
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February 12, 2021 at 08:04AM
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Fairfax might ban natural gas in new buildings - Marin Independent Journal
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