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SUSTAINABLE SILICON VALLEY The City Council of Redwood City September 21, 2020 1017 Middlefield Road Redwood City, CA 94603 Regarding: Support for an All -Electric Reach Code with Two Exemptions Dear Mayor Howard, Vice Mayor Masur & Council Members Aguirre, Bain, Borgens, Hale & Reddy, On behalf of Sustainable Silicon Valley, I would like to express our strong support for Redwood City's adoption of a strong all -electric reach code for healthy homes, quality air and a climate -resilient community. SSV has long championed innovative efforts to ensure a clean California energy economy through our air quality and water programs and our partnership with the Fossil Free Buildings in Silicon Valley (FFBSV) coalition. On the tenth anniversary of the tragic San Bruno gas explosion, we urge your approval of forward - thinking code pending before the Council with a minimum of exceptions. We cannot address climate change without phasing out gas in buildings, which accounts for 45% of Redwood City's GHG inventory. "Natural gas" was billed as a bridge fuel; we have long crossed over that bridge. The recent and continuing wildfires burn as testament to our misguided use of fossil fuels. It is vital that we do all we can to stop and reverse the damage in the strongest terms, which translates to streamlining exemptions to the rare, special circumstances of projects with planning entitlements already approved by the City (#5) and those clearly demonstrating "technical infeasibility" (#8). FFBSV outlines a cogent process utilizing Peninsula clean Energy assistance in their comments. Three points about affordable housing: • All -electric construction is affordable and cost-effective now and improving even further versus building as usual. All -electric buildings are faster to design, permit and build. Time often is money. • Children living in gas homes have a 40+% higher risk of asthma, according to a number of studies. Unlike their gas counterparts, neither efficient electric heat pump water and space heating (and cooling) nor induction cooking adversely affect indoor air quality, which is often substandard in affordable housing. • Affordable housing should have low operating costs. Redwood City can future proof its building stock considering that fossil gas has been the most volatile energy commodity over the past 50 years and PG&E and SoCalGas are planning large price hikes. Director, Water Sustainable Silicon Valley dmurphy@sustainablesv.org Sincerely, Mail: 720 South Wolfe Road #215, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Office: 155 San Lazaro Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 1 www.sustainablesv.org SSV is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible. Tax ID: 56-2464045