Eager to further its mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Redwood City is set to adopt updated reach codes further limiting the type of new construction that can be developed with natural gas amenities.
Under the city’s updated reach codes ordinance, a series of policies meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by requiring new commercial and residential developments be built with all-electric utilities, the city will do away with specific exemptions for buildings like accessory dwelling units, hospitals, commercial kitchens and science labs.
Instead, the ordinance will be amended to simply indicate exemptions will be granted on a case-by-case basis when applicants have proven electric utilities are not feasible. Mark Muenser, the city’s Community Development and Transportation director, said the exemptions would not be granted for all elements of a project unless a developer showed adequate proof of infeasibility.
“As we move forward, I’m excited that our city is in a place that we’ve been kind of leading and that we’re learning from what other cities are doing,” Councilmember Alicia Aguirre said during Monday’s meeting.
The city’s original reach code ordinance was adopted in September of 2020, making the city one of the first to adopt such an ordinance in the county. Since then, other cities have followed suit including San Mateo, which has since adopted even stricter policies requiring existing buildings being remodeled to be converted for all-electric readiness with panel upgrades and new kitchen and laundry outlets.
The council is set to formally adopt the updated codes on Nov. 14 and, if so, the changes would take effect Jan. 1, 2023. As when the council first adopted reach codes, though, the updated policy has caused some concerns.
During the public comment period, multiple speakers questioned whether the local electric system would be stable enough to handle the increased pressure. Others suggested the policy would add undue burden on families by potentially forcing people to make the expensive leap to all-electric, causing more people to experience blackouts or brownouts or forcing people to inconveniently adjust when they use power.
Councilmember Jeff Gee noted the supply chain is also a key issue. A number of items needed to install eclectic systems are currently delayed by dozens of weeks and waiting for equipment to be shipped and delivered delays construction time, costing developers money, he said.
“While the vision is great, how we get there needs to be thoughtful, planned and very strategic,” Gee said. “There’s too much going on to say we’re going to flip a switch and it’s going to be all good tomorrow.”
Bill Chiang, a representative from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, told councilmembers the agency supports reach codes in general but only when the policies do not place an undue burden on customers. PG&E is not the county’s electricity provider though, Chiang noted, pointing to Peninsula Clean Energy as the responsible agency.
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Farhad Farahmand, an advanced energy consultant with TRC, a firm working with PCE, said work is being done at all levels of government and in the private sector to improve the system, leading to less severe brownouts in recent years. In the meantime, he said the public is suggested to reduce their electricity use during peak hours between 4-9 p.m. to reduce the burden on the system.
“There’s a statewide lockstep effort to try to get us to not reduce our amenities levels during those peak periods,” Farahmand said.
As for supply chain issues, Farahmand noted delays are being felt across industries and developers would still likely need electric system equipment if installing natural gas utilities.
Unlike San Mateo, Muenser noted Redwood City’s policy would not require residents to install electric amenities during renovations, however, comments were made during Monday’s meeting suggesting the city should consider pursuing the idea eventually.
Councilmember Diane Howard encouraged staff to broaden public outreach on rebate programs that could help residents afford the switch. Similarly, Mayor Giselle Hale suggested staff send a list of programs to residents who submit applications for permits on smaller projects as well, potentially nudging them to make the shift.
More than $26,000 has been distributed through 55 city-sponsored rebates and additional programs exist through the state, PCE and other agencies, Hale noted. Reflecting on when the city first adopted reach codes, Hale also noted previous issues with technology and supply had been resolved — the pandemic has since disrupted the supply chain — and shared hope additional improvements will be accomplished in the coming years.
“The technology is there, the incentives are there and I want to remind everybody the reason we started this. This is also a health issue. The induction stovetop will make the air in your home cleaner, the air that you breathe, that your children breathe,” Hale said. “I hope that we will continue to press the envelope and two years from now feel like we’re ready to leap forward even further.”
Note to readers: This story has been changed. The city of San Mateo recently required that remodels include all-electric capacity with panels and outlets in laundry and kitchen areas.
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