San Francisco committee advances ordinance requiring all‑electric systems in new buildings, continues item for outreach

SAN FRANCISCO — The Land Use and Transportation Committee on Sept. 21 advanced an ordinance that would require new buildings to use electricity — not natural gas — for heating, cooling, water heating, cooking and clothes drying if they file initial building permits on or after Jan. 1, 2021, but delayed final action to allow more outreach and fine‑tuning.

Sponsor Supervisor Mandelmann said the measure is aimed at reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions and protecting public health. “You have before you an ordinance that would eliminate natural gas and require all electric construction in new buildings starting next year,” he told the committee, citing recent pipeline explosions and the 10‑year anniversary of the San Bruno disaster as part of the rationale.

The ordinance, as presented by the Department of Environment and Department of Building Inspection staff, would allow limited exceptions where all‑electric construction is technically or physically infeasible; any granted exception must be “electric‑ready,” meaning the building is prewired to allow future conversion to electric systems. Department staff told the committee DBI will implement the rule through an administrative bulletin and a waiver process; the bulletin (referred to in materials as AB 112) and the implementation procedures have been reviewed by the Building Inspection Commission and Environment Commission during prior hearings.

“Today is an incredibly important start on that journey,” Deborah Rafael, director of the Department of Environment, said in a presentation framing the building sector and natural‑gas leaks as a material contributor to local emissions. Cindy Comerford, Climate Program Director at the Department of Environment, said the department’s cost and equity review suggests all‑electric new construction is feasible and in many scenarios cost‑neutral or cheaper over a building’s life cycle, while recommending technical assistance and workforce training to support low‑income residents and displaced gas‑sector workers.

Several supervisors pushed staff for sharper, quantifiable data. Chair Aaron Peskin said he wanted clear numbers rather than rhetorical appeals. “When we hear from a department, we want facts,” Peskin said, pressing staff for details about how much gas a waiver for a commercial kitchen would add to the city’s total use and how the city will track exemptions.

The committee heard more than an hour of public comment. Environmental groups, housing advocates, medical professionals and business leaders — among them representatives of NRDC, Sierra Club, Earthjustice and the Business Council on Climate Change — urged stronger limits on exceptions, public oversight of waivers and the creation of a clean‑energy resource hub for training and outreach. “This legislation is perfectly timed,” Maura McKnight, executive director of the Business Council on Climate Change, said, noting member companies’ support for local climate goals.

Labor and industry speakers raised other concerns. Dave Fahey of the Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 38, urged development of a robust just‑transition plan and said the city should work with unions on workforce impacts and decommissioning of gas infrastructure. Supervisor Asha Safaie asked technical questions about heat‑pump water heaters for larger buildings; James Zahn of DBI said heat‑pump technology is becoming more common and that the ordinance contains narrow feasibility exceptions for systems not yet suited to particular building types.

After debate, the committee voted to adopt sponsor amendments (including language on decorative/outdoor gas and clarifications on initial permit definitions and electric‑ready requirements) and to continue the item to allow for additional outreach to communities (the committee discussed Oct. 19, 2020 as a return date because of calendar constraints). The roll calls on both the amendment adoption and the continuance recorded three ayes (Preston, Safaie and Peskin) and no recorded no votes.

What the ordinance would do and not do: it would not affect existing buildings, renovations or retrofits; it applies only to new construction projects that file initial permits on or after Jan. 1, 2021. For commercial food‑service establishments the proposal as presented would allow mixed‑fuel permit acceptance through Jan. 1, 2022, provided gas piping is exclusively for cooking equipment. Exceptions may be granted on a case‑by‑case basis for physical or technical infeasibility and are to be reviewed by DBI with third‑party documentation in many cases.

Next steps: Staff will refine administrative materials and outreach plans, with the committee expecting updated amendments and more stakeholder engagement when the item returns. The committee’s action Wednesday keeps the ordinance moving forward while signaling further negotiation on exceptions, outreach (including in‑language engagement for non‑English speaking communities) and workforce transition assistance.

Votes at a glance: The committee voted 3–0 to adopt sponsor amendments and 3–0 to continue the item for further outreach and refinement; the committee is expected to revisit the item in October 2020.