South Metropolis shifting towards pure fuel ban | Native Information

Officials from South San Francisco began exploring ways to limit the city’s reliance on natural gas by discussing a new policy requiring all new homes to be run on electricity only.

The South San Francisco Planning Commission investigated range codes that would prohibit the connection of natural gas to future housing developments on Thursday, May 6, and continued the trend of similar discussions across the peninsula.

While most generally supported the proposal, there was some sensitivity in the implementation of the plan, which officials had carefully crafted to ensure the new standards did not hold back future growth.

To that end, officials noted that the potential ban would only apply to future construction work and that existing buildings could keep their natural gas connections. In addition, they limited the requirements to housing due to reservations from members of the local trading sector who preferred natural gas power.

Alex Greenwood, director of economic and community development, tried carefully to reconcile the issue and assured all community members that their perspective on the matter would be considered.

“It’s a complicated give and take,” he said.

No decision on the matter was made at the meeting and ultimately the South San Francisco City Council will have an upcoming vote on banning natural gas. But council members in January signaled their support for the postponement and called for the process to be initiated.

With regard to housing developments, officials examined how a switch to all-electric construction would require a deviation from the industry standard. Most builders, especially those who specialize in housing, have already started relying solely on electricity to power buildings, an expert from Peninsula Clean Energy said.

While most building infrastructures can be converted to electricity with relative ease, officials realized that for major developments, water heating technology is still most efficient when powered by natural gas.

When trying to apply the natural gas ban to development standards for apartment buildings, officials also considered the option of increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations required for the new build.

To further limit local dependence on fossil fuels, attempts to reach codes are often accompanied by increased investment in electric vehicle infrastructure that is being built into new housing developments.

However, Commissioner JulieAnn Murphy noted that property developers are often looking for a reduction in the number of parking spaces they need to build and that interest needs to be taken into account alongside the city’s efforts to improve access to EV charging points.

Additionally, Commissioner Alex Tzang noted that switching to electrical appliances instead of natural gas burners will not work for Chinese people or those who use a traditional round wok when cooking.

“It will drive the wok user away,” he said.

Those familiar with the shift noticed advances in induction cookware, which most chefs find a suitable replacement for traditional hob materials for a natural gas burner. However, commercial options for restaurants are lagging behind residential innovation, which is one reason why businesses and the food industry are exempt from the ban.

In addition, companies in the city’s biotech sector said the natural gas ban would hinder operations, which would further motivate officials to limit the restriction to new residential developments only.

As South San Francisco is in the process of introducing the ban, the city is the youngest in a number of other communities on the peninsula where natural gas links have been cut or narrowed.

Berkeley was the first city in the country to ban natural gas for new buildings in July. There are nearly 35 local cities that have examined approved range codes of various types, including San Mateo, Redwood City, and unincorporated segments of San Mateo County. Because local officials can propose stricter regulations than government regulations for energy and green building, the guidelines are referred to as “range codes”.

While the commissioners spent much of their talks delving into the details of the Code, parishioners generally advocated the transition as an indication of the city’s commitment to progressive environmental policies.

“We can’t put off any more action,” said Diane Bailey, executive director of the Menlo Spark environmental nonprofit.