Architects, builders, and climate groups rally in support of all-electric new construction in Santa Barbara; respond to fossil-fuel front group disinformation campaign.
Forty-five organizations sent a letter to the Santa Barbara City Council today voicing support for a proposed building code update that would cut climate pollution, improve air quality in homes, and lower building costs by phasing out costly gas infrastructure in new construction.
The letter—which was signed by leading climate and environmental organizations, architects, builders, affordable housing experts, renewable energy companies, and community groups—was sent ahead of a City Council meeting tomorrow where staff members will seek approval for pursuing an all-electric building code update.
“I’m amazed by the number of organizations that have quickly rallied to the cause of clean, fossil-free buildings,” said Katie Davis, Chair of the Sierra Club Santa Barbara Group. “After the devastating fires across California this year, it's become more apparent than ever that we need to phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible. We’re excited that Santa Barbara is taking this step to continue its environmental leadership.”
The unique coalition in support of fossil-fuel free buildings was formed in response to a misinformation campaign waged by the fossil fuel front Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions. Beginning in late December, the SoCalGas-affiliated group launched a spam text campaign targeting thousands of Santa Barbara residents with misleading and false information in an attempt to derail the proposed ordinance. Advocates say these are manipulation tactics that are reminiscent of those employed by the group ahead of a vote on a similar policy in San Luis Obispo, when they mounted a disinformation campaign that culminated in the groups’ chairman threatening to bus in protestors for a “no social distance” event amid the pandemic.
Policy experts are questioning where the group obtained personal data of Santa Barbara residents and the California Public Advocates Office, a consumer watchdog body within the Public Utility Commission, has requested answers on this issue from SoCalGas directly.
“We’re disturbed about our community being blanketed in misleading information by fossil fuel interests. Now more than ever, sending out blatant lies to scare and confuse residents about policy issues must be condemned strongly. We’re calling on SoCalGas and their front group CA4BES to stop providing false information to our community,” stated Michael Chiacos, Director of Energy and Climate Programs at Community Environmental Council.
More than 40 California cities have already have all-electric building codes on the books to ensure that the construction of new homes and buildings does not build out California’s fossil fuel infrastructure. Building homes with electric appliances—which can run on 100% renewable energy—is healthier, safer, and more affordable. Santa Barbara plans to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030, and updating the building code to reduce gas reliance is part of Santa Barbara’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
The letter from the coalition highlights the following benefits of all-electric new construction:
Health: “All-electric new construction will improve indoor air quality for Santa Barbara residents….The combustion of gas inside our homes produces harmful indoor air pollution, specifically nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and ultrafine particles... Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently found that air pollution levels in the 55-70 percent of homes with gas stoves exceed EPA’s definition of clean air, i.e. air pollution levels indoors in these homes would be illegal if found outdoors. One study found that gas stoves may be responsible for up to 12 percent of childhood asthma cases”
Affordability: “All-electric homes can be cheaper to build than gas-heated buildings — and they can lower monthly utility bills for Santa Barbara residents and businesses...Ensuring all new construction is built without gas hookups will help developers build more quickly and affordably as there will be no need for new costly gas infrastructure — an advantage in the ongoing housing crisis. A recent analysis by the Statewide Utility Codes and Standards Team found that building all-electric reduced construction costs on average $5,000 for single-family homes and over $2,000 per unit in a multi-family building.”
Climate Change: “California is experiencing an increasing occurrence of extreme heat waves, with practically each summer breaking previously held record temperatures. Many Santa Barbara residents, particularly low-income families, do not have air conditioning and are not prepared to adapt to these heat waves, posing new health and safety risks. Air conditioning is an important bonus from replacing gas furnaces with electric heat pump space heaters, as the heat pumps can operate in reverse and provide high efficiency cooling when needed. Electrification offers greater comfort, safety, and climate resiliency when temperatures peak….Electricity in Santa Barbara is rapidly getting cleaner, with Santa Barbara on track to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030 and possibly sooner with the rollout of community choice energy. As a result, shifting to electric power in our buildings dramatically lowers greenhouse gas emissions.”
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