Update 6/28/2020: Last week 350 Sacramento hosted a fabulous webinar on building electrification. Panama Bartolomy from the Building Decarbonization Coalition, Scott Blunk from SMUD, and Meghan Dewey from PG&E gave excellent presentations that explained and clarified why we want to electrify buildings and what is involved in the transition. If you missed the talk or want to watch it again (yes, it’s that good!), go to this link for the recording. Then consider participating in our SMUD team (June 30) or our Reach Code/Electrification team (July 2)—see the calendar for details. We have lots of important work to do.
We have some major updates and opportunities to get involved as our electrification campaign now kicks into very public high-gear!
CONTEXT: The Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change has recommended that the city pass an ordinance mandating all-electric new construction by 2023. We have been submitting comments urging them to consider (at a minimum) an all-electric low-rise residential new construction ordinance by 2021, which would make an excellent “first-year project”. The city already has everything it needs to pass a low-rise residential ordinance by the California Energy Commission, thanks to SMUD’s cost-effectiveness study for low-rise residential construction.
THE UPDATE: The Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce hosted business roundtables and gave feedback to the commission on the draft recommendations (which include the electrification ordinance by 2023). They had an extremely negative view on electrification, for a variety of mostly unfounded reasons. We have just learned that the Metro Chamber and some business allies to pressure commissioners to vote against not only the electrification recommendation, but the entire commission report. They want the electrification ordinance pushed out until 2030. They say the business community cannot handle any new mandates because of COVID. If the commission does not unanimously endorse the recommendations and there is strong criticism from the business community, this may influence the city council, who is receiving these recommendations.
We still want the city council to pass an all-electric new construction ordinance by 2021, and at the absolute minimum, for low-rise residential construction.
WHAT TO DO? The final climate commission meeting is Monday, June 29. We have the following strategies for rallying support for the commission’s recommendations and especially the electrification ordinance, and we need your help!
- Attend and promote our Tuesday, June 23 electrification webinar with Scott Blunk (Strategic Business Planner at SMUD), Panama Bartholomy (Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition), and Meghan Dewey(Income-Qualified Programs and Disadvantaged Communities Team Manager, PG&E) about why the time is right to do an electrification ordinance in Sacramento.
- Send a public comment to the climate commission and get 3-5 friends to do it to – we have a draft template to get your comment started, all it needs is a little personal touch. Personalized comments are always better than form letters! For bonus points, also send it to:
- Sacramento Mayor Steinberg (DSteinberg@cityofsacramento.org)
- West Sacramento Mayor Cabaldon (CHRISTOPHERC@cityofwestsacramento.org)
- Julia Burrows (JBurrows@cityofsacramento.org).
- Get an organization you know or work with to sign onto our support letter to the City Council. Do you have suggestions or can you reach out to someone and share?
