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The Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley
<br />350 Silicon Valley, Acterra, Carbon Free Silicon Valley, Carbon Free Palo Alto, Carbon Free Mountain View, Citizens'
<br />itBSi
<br />Climate Lobby San Mateo County, Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame, Clean Coalition, Climate Reality
<br />Santa Clara County, Coltura, Cool Block, Fossil Free Mid -Peninsula, Menlo Spark, Menlo Together, Mothers Out
<br />Front South Bay, Pacifica Climate Committee, Peninsula Interfaith Climate Action, Project Green Home, San Carlos
<br />Green, SIDCO Homes, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Sustainable San Mateo County, Sustainable Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale Cool,
<br />Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, and Silicon Valley Youth Climate Strike.
<br />October 28, 2019
<br />Mayor Bain and Council Members
<br />Redwood City
<br />1017 Middlefield Road
<br />Redwood City, CA 94063
<br />Via email: mail@redwoodcitv.ora
<br />RE: Recommend All -Electric New Construction or Prohibition on Gas Use for the Proposed Ordinance on Energy and
<br />Green Building Standards towards the adoption of Reach Codes.
<br />Dear Mayor Bain and Council Members:
<br />On behalf of the Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley ("FFBSV"), we write to urge you to consider stronger
<br />Energy and Green Building Standards ("Reach Codes") that require All -Electric new construction or prohibited gas use in
<br />new homes and buildings. Preventing the use of fossil fuels, including natural gas, in new construction will create more
<br />affordable, cleaner, healthier, and more resilient housing and buildings for communities throughout Redwood City.
<br />The Campaign for Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley is comprised of the above listed 25 organizations that support an
<br />accelerated phase out of fossil fuels in buildings. A swift transition away from fossil fuel use is necessary to avoid the
<br />very worst and irreversible impacts of climate change. For example, the 2018 Special Report from the Intergovernmental
<br />Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) finds that we must dramatically reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2030
<br />through rapid, far-reaching, and unprecedented measures.' Accordingly, the County of San Mateojoined over
<br />1,000 national, international, and local jurisdictions with a formal declaration of a Climate Emergency on September 17`h
<br />of this year. The entire County of San Mateo, including Redwood City, is facing significant local climate impacts; for
<br />example, over 160,000 children under the age of 18 and over 100,000 older adults are vulnerable to risks posed by sea
<br />level rise [resulting from climate change].'
<br />The proposed Reach Codes under consideration on October 28`h provide incentives for avoiding natural gas use in new
<br />homes, apartments & condos, and commercial buildings; and would require an appropriate level of Electric Vehicle (EV)
<br />charging infrastructure in new construction to meet current and future vehicle charging needs. We find the proposed EV
<br />charging requirements to be extremely beneficial; however, the proposed incentives for all -electric buildings are not
<br />sufficient to prevent the health and safety hazards as well as severe climate impacts of gas use in new buildings. We
<br />strongly recommend consideration of an all -electric Reach Code or a prohibition on gas use in new construction.
<br />t https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/)
<br />2 https,//cmo smcgov ora/blog/2019.09-17/board-supervisors-declare-climate-emergency-san-mated-county
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