The ordinance, which will return to the board for a public hearing and vote on Nov. 15, contains other provisions designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of natural gas. These include tougher energy efficiency requirements for additions, alterations and remodels, and increased access to electric vehicle charging stations for people living in multifamily housing.
The ordinance would enact green building requirements that exceed current state standards.
"This is really an incremental step but it is a significant one," Sarah Jones, assistant director of the Marin County Community Development Agency, told supervisors on Tuesday. "It is allowing for transformation of the greenhouse gas profile of our building stock over time. In doing this, we are continuing to plan for the future and continuing our transition to a de-carbonized building environment."
Natural gas accounted for 26% of Marin's countywide greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, second only to transportation, which caused 56% of the county's emissions.
The stricter rules for addition, alterations and remodels would apply to single-family homes over 750 square feet. Owners would be required to implement additional energy efficiency and electrifications beyond state code; however, they would be given options for doing so. They would be allowed to select from a menu of energy efficiency and electrification measures.
The county is not contemplating all-electric requirements for renovations or remodels of existing buildings, nor does it intend to require appliance swaps at the time of replacement, otherwise known as "time of burnout."
"We are not at this time recommending an ordinance that would require electrification at time of replacement, because of a concern with permit avoidance," said Dana Armanino, a county planner. "We want to transition and work into this thoughtfully so we don't drive a lot of projects underground."
Armanino noted that the county continues to offer incentives to residents who voluntarily replace gas appliances with high-efficiency electrical appliances.
The county's ordinance also would go farther than the state in requiring that multifamily housing residents have access to electric vehicle charging stations.
Armanino said Marin County is requiring that 15% of new multifamily units with parking spaces have level 2 charging stations while the state is requiring that only 5% of multifamily units with parking spaces be equipped with level 2 chargers.
The county is also requiring that the other 85% of units in multifamily developments have access to lower-power level 2 electric vehicle receptacles that a car's charging cable can plug into. The county's ordinance would mandate some upgrading of electric vehicle charging capability at multifamily housing units when parking lots are modified.
The county's Community Development Agency is working with Marin cities and towns in an effort to get them to develop similar policies. As of August, 60 California jurisdictions, including Fairfax and San Anselmo, had adopted ordinances requiring all-electric buildings for new construction.
In June, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury issued a report recommending that local governments collaborate to develop a comprehensive, countywide building electrification plan by Jan. 1, 2024.
During Tuesday's meeting, a number of members of the public voiced support for the proposed changes.
"We urge you to take meaningful climate action with one of the only tools that local governments have," said Mark Palmer, a member of the Sausalito Sustainability Commission, "and that is the building codes."
Ken Strong, a member of the Marin Conservation League's climate action working group, said he was initially skeptical regarding the new requirements for residents doing additions, alterations and remodels, but changed his mind after learning more about them.
"It's a great way of giving people choice," Strong said.
Brian Reyes, Marin County sustainability planner, said the county conducted an online survey to gauge public reaction to the changes contained in the ordinance.
"A common theme from that survey," Reyes said, "was a concern about grid reliability and whether it can support the increased demand of electrification and infrastructure buildout.
"After thorough research," Reyes said, "we have come to the conclusion that the grid can indeed handle increased electrical capacity."
Speaking to that issue, Sebastian Conn, a community development manager with MCE, said, "As we embark on a gradual transition to an all-electric building stock, MCE is planning for the increased electricity demand with our long-term power procurement practices."
Conn said MCE is also investing in battery storage "both locally and at the utility scale."
Bill Carney, chairman of Sustainable San Rafael, said the ordinance is a good first step but added that the county needs to stick to its climate action plan, which states that the county will consider adopting an ordinance in 2024 that would require homeowners to replace natural gas appliances — such as hot water heaters, stoves, cooktops and clothes dryers — with high-efficiency electric appliances at time of replacement "where feasible."
©2022 The Marin Independent Journal, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
