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Committee backs minor amendment to all‑electric construction rules to accommodate EPCA‑regulated appliances
Summary
Supervisors recommended an ordinance to amend the city's all‑electric new construction code to allow gas piping for appliances regulated by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), aligning local rules with Ninth Circuit precedent; staff said the update preserves electric‑ready requirements administered by DBI.
The committee voted to recommend an ordinance to the full Board that updates San Francisco's all‑electric new construction ordinance so that buildings may install gas infrastructure to serve appliances specifically regulated by the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, sponsor of the amendment, said the change is a narrowly tailored response to Ninth Circuit decisions (including a challenge to Berkeley’s ordinance) and is intended to keep the city's broader goal of electrification intact while avoiding preemption by federal law. "In an abundance of caution we think it makes sense to be clear that our legislation does comply with this Ninth Circuit precedent," Mandelman said.
Cindy Commerford, climate program manager at the Department of the Environment, told the committee the ordinance permits gas piping for EPCA‑related appliances while keeping buildings subject to the city's electric‑ready design guidelines administered by the Department of Building Inspections (DBI) in Administrative Bulletin 112. "So in conclusion, basically, this ordinance is trying to align local law with federal law, and also still to achieve our broader goals around climate," she said.
The committee voted to send the ordinance as a committee report to the Board (recorded voice vote: 3 ayes). If approved at the Board, the ordinance will be followed by updates to the electric‑ready guidelines and DBI administrative materials.
