1166562 - Building Decarbonization: Local Governments Take the Lead

This panel will present on the experiences of cities pursuing building decarbonization through local policy and building codes, as well as broader analyses on related costs and financing issues. The panel will address the themes of local government policy initiatives, building measures, energy efficiency and fuel switching. Two of the three presenters represent public agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one presenter is a consultant working on state-level financing initiatives.

10 percent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the San Francisco Bay Area are due to building use of natural gas, and in some Bay Area cities this percentage is as high as 40 percent. As electricity becomes carbon-free in the Bay Area, with state goals requiring carbon-free retail electricity by 2045, building electrification will be essential for meeting regional and local GHG reduction goals.

In 2019, Berkeley became the first city in the United States to ban natural gas in new buildings. Since then, dozens of cities in California and across the country have followed suit, with a large number of cities located in the Bay Area. This panel will discuss San Francisco’s building ordinance banning natural gas in new construction; the process and analyses behind Berkeley’s future strategy to electrify existing buildings; as well as the cost implications and potential financing options to fund building decarbonization.

Speakers will present on their experiences tackling the challenges and opportunities of building decarbonization, and how it touches upon clean technology, community outreach and education, equity, housing, building code policy and other cross-cutting issues.