Implementation
The County Building Permits and Inspection Division will require documentation at the time of building permit application for replacement of water heaters, HVAC systems, and other appliances requiring a permit. The information requested should include a serial number for the new electric appliance, where purchased, and contact information for the contractor who performed the installation. Eligible upgrades may include heat pump water heaters, induction cooktops, heat pump space heaters, electrical panel and branch circuit upgrades, or permanent removal of a natural gas fireplace.
An outreach program will be developed that provides education strategies that enable residential energy conservation and gas-to-electric conversions in residential buildings for space and water heating. This outreach program will include partnership with existing organizations, such as the Sacramento Association of Realtors, to provide information on benefits of energy conservation and incentives for electrification.
In addition, new development projects that have incorporated all feasible on-site GHG mitigation may be permitted to fund energy efficiency and electrification retrofits of existing buildings subject to quantification of the costs per MT CO2e. This quantification shall be submitted by applicants for review and verification by the County or a qualified third party selected by the County.
Timeframe: Midterm
GHG Reduction Potential: 140,819 MT CO2e per year by 2030
Sector: Energy – Residential
Target Indicator: Development of an outreach program and partnership with local utilities on an electrification and energy efficiency retrofit program. Participation targets for existing residences: 10 percent for energy-efficiency upgrades by 2030; 15 percent for energy conservation by 2030; and 30 percent for electrification by 2030. Target set for 13,000,000 therms of natural gas and 20,000 MWh of electricity consumption to be avoided by 2026 and 26,200,000 therms and 39,000 MWh of electricity to be avoided by 2030.
Status of Implementation
Measures GHG-4 through -7 deal with the electrification of buildings in the community and are categorized by residential vs. non-residential and existing vs. new construction.
Currently the County is focused on identifying electrification incentives and working with SMUD and the Cities of Sacramento and Elk Grove who are all partners in a Sacramento County Building Electrification Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU is a no-cost agreement originally developed by SMUD and the City and County of Sacramento to work together and coordinate on building electrification efforts. All other incorporated cities in Sacramento County have been invited to join the MOU with the City of Elk Grove joining the partnership. The above agencies hold a monthly coordination meeting to coordinate, troubleshoot, and strategize about advancing building electrification.
SMUD currently offers several rebates to support building electrification under their Home Performance Program. The County is exploring grant and other funding opportunities to partner with SMUD and increase the rebate opportunities.
Due to litigation in the building electrification space, namely the California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley case, where the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit blocked the City of Berkeley from enacting a natural gas piping ban, the County is not pursuing any electrification ordinances at this time.
The County acknowledges that reach codes offer a different pathway to electrification than what Berkeley used. However, after analysis of the current situation, staff resources are being focused on completing and defending the Climate Action Plan from potential CEQA challenges from local environmental groups while concurrently participating in the regional efforts described above and focusing on incentive- and education-based efforts to drive a switch to more electric-only buildings.
Last updated 10/11/12023
