Banning gas hookups key question in L.A.
We asked members of City Council their position on requiring all-electric heating in new construction.
BOILING POINT
Over the last two years, 42 California cities and counties have banned or discouraged gas hookups in new buildings. The policies vary from place to place, but the goal is to shift homes and businesses from gas furnaces and stoves — which generate planet-warming carbon emissions — to electric alternatives such as heat pumps and induction cooktops.
Los Angeles had hoped to be a leader in this area. The sustainability plan released by Mayor Eric Garcetti in April 2019 said all new buildings should be “net-zero carbon” by 2030, with existing buildings converted to zeroemission technologies by 2050.
Since then, Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose have banned natural gas in all or most new buildings. L.A. has not. What gives?
To answer that question, The Times asked all 15 City Council members what they think about banning or discouraging gas hookups in new construction, or requiring new buildings to be allelectric. Ten responded.
But first, some quick context: Gas burned in homes and businesses accounts for about 10% of California’s climate pollution. That’s not nearly as big as transportation, the state’s biggest emitter. But as the climate crisis wreaks ever-greater calamity, action is needed to slash emissions across every part of the economy.
It’s also important to recognize that a ban on gas hookups wouldn’t reduce emissions from existing buildings, and that climate isn’t the only consideration. Officials in Garcetti’s office say they’re working on policies that will not only slash carbon emissions from new and existing buildings, but also do so in a way that sustains job opportunities for gas utility workers and benefits low-income families and communities of color by reducing indoor air pollution from gas stoves without raising energy bills.
If city officials hope to phase out natural gas, they will also need to deal with pushback from Southern California Gas Co., which has fought all-electric building codes in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara and in the summer sued state officials over climate policy.
With that context in mind, here’s what council members had to say about banning or discouraging gas hookups in new buildings. Their comments have been edited for brevity:
DISTRICT 1, GIL CEDILLO: No response.
DIST. 2, PAUL KREKORIAN: Supportive. Krekorian said some kind of allelectric building policy “definitely appeals to me.” But in a city “as big and complex” as L.A., the costs and benefits require careful study, he said. He wants to avoid getting in the way of housing production, for instance.
DIST. 3, BOB BLUMENFIELD: Supportive. “I believe that’s the way we should be headed, especially as more green power options become cheaper and cheaper. While there are nuances to this issue as we don’t want to inadvertently hinder the construction of housing that we desperately need, they are not insurmountable . ... I think this is something the City Council should take seriously,” Blumenfield said in an email.
DIST. 4, NITHYA RAMAN:
Supportive. “Los Angeles aspires to be a global leader in combating climate change and becoming carbon neutral. Forty-two cities — including Berkeley, San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco — have all adopted building codes to reduce their reliance on natural gas, while L.A. has yet done nothing. It is high time that L.A. develop and pass a policy banning gas hookups in new construction,” Raman said.
DIST. 5, PAUL KORETZ: Neither supportive nor opposed. Koretz “wants to ensure the city thinks carefully about the impacts of climate, toxic pollution and any legislative action on Indigenous, front-line and labor communities,” spokesman Andy Shrader said. “He wants to develop a holistic approach via the (Climate Emergency Mobilization Office) through a Community Assemblies process that centers climate resilience, equity, housing and jobs.”
DIST. 6, COUNCIL PRESIDENT NURY MARTINEZ: No response.
DIST. 7, MONICA RODRIGUEZ: No response.
DIST. 8, MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON: Neither supportive nor opposed. “Council member Harris-Dawson doesn’t feel like this story impacts South L.A. unless it has an environmental equity or justice angle. He’s focused on new buildings being as energy efficient as possible and address[ing] long-standing health concerns that have plagued the area for generations,” spokesman Antwone Roberts said.
DIST. 9, CURREN PRICE: No response.
DIST. 10, MARK RIDLEY-THOMAS: Neither supportive nor opposed. “L.A. City is uniquely suited to continue to drive innovation and make a significant difference in the health of our communities with a mix of requirements and incentives that move us to a greener and more sustainable built environment. We must be open to exploring new ideas,” Ridley-Thomas said.
DIST. 11, MIKE BONIN: Supportive. the pandemic and is “eager to bring it back.” While banning gas in new buildings “can be a controversial issue, it’s sort of the low-hanging fruit and the most sensible and easy step to take.”
DIST. 12, JOHN LEE: Neither supportive nor opposed. “We all have a responsibility to address climate change and I am open to all legislation that helps to reduce our city’s overall carbon footprint. However, we need to do so in a way that doesn’t negatively impact economic development or disproportionately burden low-income families.”
DIST. 13, MITCH O’FARRELL: Neither supportive nor opposed. “We need to continue the transition into 100% renewable and clean energy as soon as possible. We are currently evaluating all the complexities involved, including the considerable costs to go all-electric, and how that could negatively burden low-income households,” O’Farrell said.
DIST. 14, KEVIN DE LEÓN: Neither supportive nor opposed. “I strongly support reducing our energy load through efficiency and decarbonizing future construction. I am currently working to ensure we engage a broad cross-section of energy experts, labor and environmental advocates to develop, jointly with the mayor and my colleagues, a set of policies to move L.A. forward on this critical issue,” de León said.
DIST. 15, JOE BUSCAINO: No response. latimes.com/ boilingpoint