Marin supervisors stated this week that they are going to assist an ordinance that might require that new residential and industrial development in Marin be all-electric starting Jan. 1.
The ordinance, which can return to the board for a public listening to and vote on Nov. 15, accommodates different provisions designed to chop greenhouse fuel emissions by lowering using pure fuel. These embody harder power effectivity necessities for additions, alterations and remodels, and elevated entry to electrical automobile charging stations for folks residing in multifamily housing.
The ordinance would enact inexperienced constructing necessities that exceed present state requirements.
“That is actually an incremental step however it's a vital one,” Sarah Jones, assistant director of the Marin County Group Improvement Company, informed supervisors on Tuesday. “It's permitting for transformation of the greenhouse fuel profile of our constructing inventory over time. In doing this, we're persevering with to plan for the long run and persevering with our transition to a de-carbonized constructing atmosphere.”
Pure fuel accounted for 26% of Marin’s countywide greenhouse fuel emissions in 2020, second solely to transportation, which induced 56% of the county’s emissions.
The stricter guidelines for addition, alterations and remodels would apply to single-family properties over 750 sq. toes. House owners could be required to implement extra power effectivity and electrifications past state code; nevertheless, they might be given choices for doing so. They'd be allowed to pick out from a menu of power effectivity and electrification measures.
The county will not be considering all-electric necessities for renovations or remodels of current buildings, nor does it intend to require equipment swaps on the time of substitute, in any other case referred to as “time of burnout.”
“We're not presently recommending an ordinance that might require electrification at time of substitute, due to a priority with allow avoidance,” stated Dana Armanino, a county planner. “We need to transition and work into this thoughtfully so we don’t drive a number of tasks underground.”
Armanino famous that the county continues to supply incentives to residents who voluntarily change fuel home equipment with high-efficiency electrical home equipment.
The county’s ordinance additionally would go farther than the state in requiring that multifamily housing residents have entry to electrical automobile charging stations.
Armanino stated Marin County is requiring that 15% of latest multifamily models with parking areas have stage 2 charging stations whereas the state is requiring that solely 5% of multifamily models with parking areas be outfitted with stage 2 chargers.
The county can be requiring that the opposite 85% of models in multifamily developments have entry to lower-power stage 2 electrical automobile receptacles that a automotive’s charging cable can plug into. The county’s ordinance would mandate some upgrading of electrical automobile charging functionality at multifamily housing models when parking tons are modified.
The county’s Group Improvement Company is working with Marin cities and cities in an effort to get them to develop comparable insurance policies. As of August, 60 California jurisdictions, together with Fairfax and San Anselmo, had adopted ordinances requiring all-electric buildings for brand new development.
In June, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury issued a report recommending that native governments collaborate to develop a complete, countywide constructing electrification plan by Jan. 1, 2024.
Throughout Tuesday’s assembly, numerous members of the general public voiced assist for the proposed adjustments.
“We urge you to take significant local weather motion with one of many solely instruments that native governments have,” stated Mark Palmer, a member of the Sausalito Sustainability Fee, “and that's the constructing codes.”
Ken Robust, a member of the Marin Conservation League’s local weather motion working group, stated he was initially skeptical relating to the brand new necessities for residents doing additions, alterations and remodels, however modified his thoughts after studying extra about them.
“It’s a good way of giving folks selection,” Robust stated.
Brian Reyes, Marin County sustainability planner, stated the county carried out a web based survey to gauge public response to the adjustments contained within the ordinance.
“A standard theme from that survey,” Reyes stated, “was a priority about grid reliability and whether or not it might probably assist the elevated demand of electrification and infrastructure buildout.
“After thorough analysis,” Reyes stated, “we've got come to the conclusion that the grid can certainly deal with elevated electrical capability.”
Chatting with that problem, Sebastian Conn, a neighborhood growth supervisor with MCE, stated, “As we embark on a gradual transition to an all-electric constructing inventory, MCE is planning for the elevated electrical energy demand with our long-term energy procurement practices.”
Conn stated MCE can be investing in battery storage “each regionally and on the utility scale.”
Invoice Carney, chairman of Sustainable San Rafael, stated the ordinance is an effective first step however added that the county wants to stay to its local weather motion plan, which states that the county will take into account adopting an ordinance in 2024 that might require householders to interchange pure fuel home equipment — corresponding to sizzling water heaters, stoves, cooktops and garments dryers — with high-efficiency electrical home equipment at time of substitute “the place possible.”