San Francisco bans pure gasoline in new buildings
Now you don’t cook on gas.
As of June, buildings constructed in San Francisco will no longer be allowed to have natural gas heating, gas appliances or gas fires.
The city’s regulator unanimously voted Tuesday to ban fuel in buildings that apply for building permits after June 30, 2021. The ordinance would affect planned development of more than 54,000 homes and 32 million square feet of commercial space in the San Francisco Chronicle.
The move was taken as an “incremental but important step in saving our planet,” said District 8 supervisor Rafael Mandelman, sponsor of the legislation.
“Natural gas is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco and poses major health and safety risks,” Mandelman said in a Twitter post. “The all-electric construction in new buildings is a critical step towards a safer, healthier San Francisco and planet for future generations.”
The gas is responsible for around 44% of all greenhouse gas emissions in San Francisco, according to 2017 data.
Other reasons for switching to all-electric power were to reduce the risk of fire or explosion from gas pipelines or other infrastructure that could be damaged during an earthquake, and to improve indoor air quality.
San Francisco joins Berkeley to pass a natural gas ban. With Berkeley’s going into effect in January, San Francisco delayed implementation by six months, allowing developers to request a waiver of gas stoves for restaurants in otherwise all-electric buildings. The waiver applies until the end of 2021.
San Francisco had previously banned natural gas in city buildings.
