New Action Plan Presents Path to Cut Gas Pollution from California’s Homes and Buildings

OAKLAND, CA -- Today, the Sierra Club released the Building Electrification Action Plan for Climate Leaders, which advises policymakers on how to clear greenhouse gas emissions out of California’s homes and buildings. More than 20 cities have already adopted ordinances to begin phasing gas out of buildings, which release roughly 17 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and account for more pollution than all of the state’s power plants combined. 

“The next five years are the critical window for California’s policymakers to facilitate a managed transition to gas-free buildings and to create a model that is centered on the needs of workers and low-income and environmental justice communities,” said Rachel Golden, Deputy Director of Building Electrification at the Sierra Club. “California is not on track to transition from gas to clean energy at the speed required by climate science. As California’s gas companies try to stymie climate progress, policymakers must lead and act strategically to fully power and heat our homes and businesses with clean energy.”

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The benefits of eliminating gas combustion from our buildings, commonly known as “electrification”, go well beyond mitigating the climate crisis. Electrification also:

• lowers the average household energy bill by $4,000 – $10,000 over 20 years; 

• reduces the cost of single family home construction by $6,000, and the cost of multi-family apartment building construction by roughly $1,500 per unit; 

• creates roughly 100,000 new jobs in construction, HVAC installation, electrical work, energy efficiency, and load-management services;

• improves indoor air quality and the safety of our communities by removing the risk of fires and explosions caused by gas leaks, particularly after earthquakes.

This Action Plan describes and quantifies these benefits in greater detail and shows why we must ensure the benefits of electrification are available to all Californians, especially those in low-income and environmental justice communities.

“Buildings are a critical piece of the climate puzzle and California is trying to lead the way on developing solutions for the Golden State and for sharing with other areas,” said Panama Bartholomy, Director of the Building Decarbonization Coalition. “This building electrification plan lays out where we are, where we’re going, and what we need to do. This critical effort will be looked back upon as a seminal piece of our state's and planet's success in fighting climate change."

As the fifth-largest economy in the world, and a recognized international leader in climate policy, California is already leading the nation with clean energy and carbon-neutrality commitments. This report details the following five strategies for policymakers to ensure our homes and buildings do not stand in the way of achieving those necessary commitments:

1. establish a goal to reach zero-emission buildings no later than 2045;

2. strengthen standards for buildings and appliances to reach zero emissions;

3. improve affordability of electrification and prioritize low-income residents;

4. educate and inspire consumers and the workforce;

5. remove roadblocks and common barriers to electrification, particularly for low-income and environmental justice communities.

"California needs electrification to achieve its clean air and climate goals, but we won't get there unless we include the environmental justice communities that often get left out -- especially low-income communities of color," said Carmelita Miller the Energy Equity Counsel at the Greenlining Institute. “With this plan, policymakers at all levels of government can remove the roadblocks to progress and ensure California’s transition off gas protects and prioritizes environmental justice and low-income communities.”

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