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I'm writing to urge you to go beyond the staff proposal for reach codes and mandate all -electric <br />buildings in new construction for the following reasons: <br />• We must electrify all buildings to run off clean electricity to achieve science -based <br />climate targets. Buildings are >25% of the state's greenhouse gas emissions, and <br />building electrification is the only viable pathway for reducing emissions at scale, based <br />on years of research from universities and national labs. <br />• All -electric new construction costs less than building with gas. There's significant <br />savings when you do not install two separate utility connections (electric and gas). <br />Everyone from affordable housingdevelopers in Silicon Valley to the University of <br />California & Stanford are already building all -electric, because they've researched it and <br />know the benefits. <br />Any gas infrastructure installed in buildings today is a stranded asset. Requiring all - <br />electric new construction is the fiscally prudent decision. All gas infrastructure will need <br />to be ripped out and replaced with electric in the coming decades. Requiring it now will <br />save our community - residents and businesses - millions if not billions of dollars. <br />• All -electric buildings with solar and battery storage enhance community resiliency. <br />Buildings with gas are not more resilient: modern gas appliances require electricity to <br />operate. All -electric buildings with solar and storage offer greater resiliency benefits for <br />residents and businesses, especially in light of PSPS events. <br />• Advanced electric appliances are not new - they are industry standard in other <br />regions of the US and abroad. Advanced electric technologies using heat pumps for <br />space and water heating (not resistance appliances) and induction stoves for cooking <br />(not coil cooktops) are already tested and proven. These technologies dominate most <br />markets outside California. <br />• PG&E supports all -electric new construction. Here is a copy of their letter of support <br />for all -electric new construction to the City of Morgan Hill, which just passed a gas ban <br />last week. They offered to show up at city council meetings to answer questions and <br />voice support. <br />Eliminating indoor combustion improves indoor air quality for residents. Buildings <br />with gas in California release more smog indoors than all gas power plants, which <br />impacts the health of our families and pets. Removing combustion indoors by moving to <br />all -electric eliminates the release of toxic gases and the need for CO detectors, <br />improving public health. <br />Redwood City will fall behind if it does not take a stronger position. In our region, <br />San Jose, Berkeley, Menlo Park, Mountain View, and Morgan Hill have already banned <br />gas or strongly favored all -electric new construction in the ordinances they've <br />adopted. Here's a list of active local government efforts to decarbonize buildings. <br />Several other local jurisdictions will be considering eliminating gas in the coming <br />weeks. Redwood City will be an outlier and fall behind in the region if it does not adopt <br />a stronger position. <br />Rarely will you have the opportunity to help your community save money and the planet, not to <br />mention materially improve community resiliency and public health. That is the fortunate <br />