Measure
The County will adopt an electrification requirement for mixed-fuel single-family and multifamily
homes subject to cost-effectiveness studies prepared by the Statewide Reach Codes Team:
The upgrade or replacement of natural gas appliances or HVAC and/or water heating equipment will be required to be an electrically powered equivalent. This could occur at the end of the current natural gas appliance’s life cycle, or at the point of appliance replacement if earlier than the end of its life cycle.
Permits for additions or alterations to single-family and multifamily residential structures that increase the building’s conditioned area will be required to meet CALGreen Tier 2 energy efficiency standards for the increased conditioned area.
Permits for additions or alterations to single-family and multifamily residential structures that increase the building’s conditioned area but do not include HVAC and/or water heating equipment will be required to upgrade an electrical panel or branch circuit to support these electric appliances in the future.
This requirement will be effective per the following timelines:
building permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2023, or 6 months after the availability of a cost-effectiveness study prepared by the Statewide Reach Codes Team, whichever is later, for buildings that are three stories or less, and
building permit applications filed on or after January 1, 2026, or 6 months after the availability of a cost-effectiveness study prepared by the Statewide Reach Codes Team, whichever is later, for buildings that are four stories or more.
To support residential electrification, the County shall review its existing permitting processes for residential building owners seeking to replace gas home appliances with electric appliances, as well as capping gas meters, and modify as needed to reduce complexity, cost, and processing time for any required permits. This may include exploring provisions to focus any required inspections related to electrification solely on those areas affected by the requested permit.
The County will partner with SMUD to develop an incentive program that reduces costs associated with any necessary electrical panel and/or branch circuit upgrades to support additional electric appliances. In addition, the County will assist local utilities and organizations such as Rebuilding Together Sacramento and Community Resource Project with increasing participation in residential retrofit programs in the County’s environmental justice communities to achieve a reduction in overall energy consumption.
To support utilities on residential energy efficiency, the County will develop and implement a program that provides education on strategies that promote energy savings in residential buildings. Videos featuring energy savings tips will be recorded and hosted on the County’s website, and a marketing campaign will be developed to advertise the availability of this information. Marketing and educational materials will include all applicable incentives and rebates from SMUD or other utilities. A video will also be created that shows residents how to monitor their energy use through SMUD and PG&E web interfaces or share their energy use with third parties for more detailed analytics on energy use. An information sheet will also be published on the County’s CAP portal, described in Section 4, on methods that can be used to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency, including upgrading to EnergyStar™-certified appliances, more efficient HVAC systems, weatherization, and comprehensive whole home retrofitting.
