San Mateo council directs staff to pursue four reach-code options for cooling upgrades and major home renovations

San Mateo City Council on Nov. 3 directed staff to pursue four local "reach code" options that would encourage electrification during air-conditioner replacements and major home renovations and require limited electrical readiness work during certain upgrades.

Andrea Chow, sustainability analyst for the City of San Mateo, told the council the options are intended to be adopted as stand-alone ordinances before the next state code cycle begins Jan. 1, 2026, and that adopted ordinances must be filed with the California Energy Commission and the Building Standards Commission before enforcement. Chow said the city’s existing reach codes expire Dec. 31, 2025, and staff presented technical analysis, permit-data summaries and cost-effectiveness studies to support four options.

Why it matters: Buildings account for a substantial share of San Mateo’s greenhouse-gas inventory, and staff told the council reach codes are a targeted way to reduce emissions when property owners are already planning or paying for upgrades. Public commenters representing local clean-energy groups, Acterra and the San Mateo Climate Action Team urged council to adopt all four options, citing indoor-air-quality benefits, available rebates and projected bill savings.

What was proposed: Staff described four options: - Cooling upgrades for single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes (Option 1): when property owners install or replace an air conditioner they could comply either by installing a heat pump (which provides both heating and cooling) or by installing a…