By Tony Hicks – The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider asking staff to prepare an amendment to the county building code requiring electricity to be the sole source of power for all new residential and non-residential (hotel, office and retail) buildings, while prohibiting the installation of natural gas piping.
The new buildings affected would be in areas where the California Energy Commission has accepted studies demonstrating the cost effectiveness of the new requirements for all climate zones in the county.
In Sept. 2020, the board adopted a climate emergency resolution, saying the county should require electricity over gas in new construction. A staff report for Tuesday’s meeting says “The built environment is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the county and in California.”
Tuesday’s staff report also says the board should consider asking the county’s sustainability committee for a recommendation as to whether newly constructed restaurants and industrial buildings should also be held to the same standard.
Supervisors could wait for the state to impose the same requirements into its building code, which the report says isn’t likely to happen until 2025, for implementation in 2026. The next state building code update is scheduled for 2022.
The board isn’t deciding whether to amend the current building code on Tuesday, only whether to direct staff to draft an ordinance on which supervisors would later decide. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meets virtually at 9 a.m. Tuesday, at www.contracosta.ca.gov.
51 comments
Take it to the next step, don’t have garages or parking so people can’t own a car. Maybe a flow meter so people can only use a certain amount of power at one time. Stupid.
They can’t do this without providing some relief in the bill, like to account for the impact of increased utility bills to working families we’ll install a nuclear micro plant(s) in the county to provide inexpensive and clean electric power.
Yes, they can. Just like the politicians raised the sales taxes and gasoline taxes without providing for people who work.
Great. And this will also help improve the frequency and how often we have more rolling black outs
A knew this was coming under Democratic leadership. Any voter remorse yet ?
The people who vote for Democrat politicians are too stupid to have remorse or know why the wheels are coming off of this High Speed Disaster.
This has been in the talks for the last 3 years.
I was wondering that myself. Not one word of remorse from our fellow citizens.
The very same people who think this stuff is wonderful and vote for these politicians will also lament how expensive it is to live in California, and will never connect the dots.
You want to pay more to heat and cook with electricity? Another stupid idea. The hits just keep on coming.
Add hundreds of thousands of housing units to deal with the housing shortage. Switch everyone to electric vehicles and appliances. Turn off the electricity in the interest of public safety. Welcome to the modern world!
This morning I was shaving and thinking about that we used to use straight razors. As you sharpened it yourself a single razor could last a lifetime. Somewhere along the line disposable razors came along. You use them a few times and then drop the old blade into the slot in the back of the medicine cabinet. The plain old disposables were replaced by cartridges, often containing multiple blades. Those don’t fit in medicine cabinet slots and so are tossed in the trash. Disposable cartridge were replaced by electric razors, first line powered and now battery powered. When the battery stops holding a charge you throw the entire razor system away. How did we get away from something you only needed to buy once in a lifetime, and possibly less than that if you used a parent’s or grandparent’s razor to depending no both electricity and throwing things away?
I think we should mandate horse, mules, and wagons or buggies. In the days of the straight razor, which went out about the time the automobile and electrification were coming in, people used to die from infections from razor cuts, they walked in streets filled with manure, and they died in house fires caused by tipped over kerosene lanterns. Heck, if someone failed to turn the valve all of the way down on the illuminating gas in the built in lighting, the entire family died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
I think they should cut to the chase and ban gasoline. Anything else shows they are not really serious.
It’s a great idea. Natural gas is being phased out in California. Contra Costa County would join over 20 large municipalities who have already banned natural gas. Not taking action is essentially agreeing to permit new construction using a fuel source that will not be available in the near future. The cost to reconfigure a house or commercial building for electricity only would be far more expensive and disruptive than just building it for electricity only from the start. The debate on whether or not natural gas is going to be phased out is over. The only thing that remains to work out is the timing and logistics.
Excellent comment!
Seems you’re the only sane one on here.
Great. Then California should build some nuclear power plants to provide the bulk power needed to supply the necessary electricity.
I’m hanging on to my gas cooktop, though. From my cold, dead hands.
Without natural gas the electric company can charge what they want. Then the state or county also collects more tax. This is not science it is economics figured out in boardrooms you will never be invited into. Another dumb idea.
I love it when lefties declare the “debate is over” on something that was never widely publicly debated. It doesn’t sound authoritarian or dictatorial or anything.
Just because the left wing echo chamber of twitter or Reddit decided something doesn’t mean the debate is over. I will put money down now that natural gas is extremely widely used 50 years from now.
How are they going to do cremations ? I guess they can lay you on a electric element
Because California has a reliable and abundant supply of electricity? Talk about being stuck on stupid!
Um, why, so all that gas can be burnt in a gas fired power plant and then the energy sent back to your home along a lossy transmission line?
So Stupid.
@ MikeyV. Excellent point. I don’t think most people realize how much juice is lost from transmission lines. I admit I was shocked myself when I learned.
In my long life in California the electricity has gone out countless times. For three days once in Concord. Many of those times, I’ve said, “well at least I can take a hot shower and keep the house warm..”. I don’t recall the gas ever going out. Not once. Most people have back up water for emergencies. You wouldn’t WANT every household to have back up energy supplies in the form of combustible fuels and combustible batteries.
I recall a few decades ago that some radical middle of the road politicians were rejecting the false dichotomy of “going green” or “going nuclear”, and instead advocating for “energy portfolio diversification”.
Buzzwords are probably needed to combat this attempt to eliminate natural gas. We need “smart energy diversification” and “energy infrastructure resiliency”. Re-engineering our energy system so that the entire thing can literally be shut down with the flick of a switch is a really bad idea.
Can we just recall everyone on the board already with all the **** they’ve done the past 18 months. Time for some new voices
I will vote for a port-o-potty over a single incumbent come election time.
still can not believe there are dem voters out there
the most ignorant things that dems push
all to stuff socialism down out throats in a free america
by the way blm and all the equity shouting
socialism has no
repeat no room for individuality
no room for being independent
its a totalitarian society …think pyramid scheme
your the bottom and stay there and the politicians are the middle and the most corrupt and devious is at the top …..
look at your beloved china a russia …..
but you all ready know this and are all for being ruled and being used to work yes you have to work or you dont eat
or did they not tell you that
oh cant wait for the day when these pro dem voters get forced to work and when they dont they starve ……
forcing all electric as they did before this summer where we are all ready into several spare the grid days
and now they want to force all electric lol
They say it’s for the better good, but not for Us and the U.S.
More black-outs, like in third world countries, since all-electric is not reliable for all as it is.
Charge a cell phone, car, cook a meal, heat a house,…etc.
Solar for homes don’t work unless you have battery back up.
How are/is the under class going to afford this?
Yes China & Russia will have the upper hand, and will be laughing at Us.
So take a simple business like laundromat, electric drying compared to gas is 3x higher. Think about the usage alerts we already get and the higher pricing from 4-9, key times people do laundry.
Prices will rise and only for the poorest who use this service!
Love the equity!
Equity is only important when they want to take something of yours and give it to someone else to buy their vote.
When they are building pay lanes for rich people on all the freeways, somehow it never comes up.
This is so frigging dumb. No wonder people are moving to states that do not allow this kind of control on its citizens.
Get over yourself, Biden, Haiss, Green Team, Newsolini and the rest of you fools. You are driving the country into the ground.
+1
That’s one way to get rid of the state’s excess electricity.
Power rationing is coming.
Bank on it
Not in my new state. They actually ran a gas line into this neighborhood a few years back. People were able to ditch the propane. My bill for running the oven/stovetop and our large BBQ last month? $5. That’s all.
..stupid idea… we can’t handle the electrical needs we have now
Soon Gavin will get on the squawk box and tell us this will actually bring the cost of homes in California down and create thousands of jobs.
Pay no attention to all those coal fired electric grids……..
Where do they think electricity comes from, the sky?
Actually, that is where lots much of our electricity comes from and the amount coming from the sky is increasing on a daily basis. Great point.
Ban gas when we have rolling blackouts in this state? Just wait until the water is low enough and we lose electrical capacity from hydropower dams…
Does it sound as if California is being run by Lemmings?
As we all know when the council or board or any other self righteous group
Propose somthing to discussion
Banning natural gas to force people to the grid that can’t support what we have now
And no construction in sight for more power plants
It’s like jumping in your car to do a road trip
And not check the gas tank or bring money or a card
I guess it’s the dem way and die
It’s going to happen
Regardless of majority
As there is no vote
Just you Displaying your concerns and them yawning and doing what they want
Huh sounds like socialism all ready
Wow that’s awesome
Your screwed and have no idea you are
Genuine genius
Have the cattle free range on grass
Then slaughter them
Wow the dems and their policies have really snuck in and take over your lives
Councils own your rights and money and decisions
Man being ruled is great
I mean a few people being able to use your money how they want and you can’t stop them
You can talk till you pass out and they will still allow legal theft and bums to break your windows and use your money to buy hotels for bums and a soccer stadium for illegals
Hell of a scam that worked perfectly
You will make great pets
Or you are great pets
Still can’t believe parents allow their children to be taught about race and sex by socialist special interest groups in schools and they only charge 900’dollars an hour upfront and take your tax money through loop holes
Double dip and indoctrinated kids for the future
Man you dem voters sure are showing yourselves to do real good
Come on man !!!
Well… time to fire up the nuclear and wood-burning power plants they mothballed over the last few years.
I work in the power industry, and pretty much all of the power plants that are being allowed by the state to operate, are operating at max.
Unfortunately, as much as I think it’s a great idea, solar and wind power isn’t and hasn’t been able to keep up with the demand.
Guess I better replace my gas dryer before you can’t buy them anymore. Had an electric stove and oven at one home, hated it.
Just another reason to fire-up the gas grill. Will they ban propane next? Will BAAQMD send out a nasty letter?
Look what happened in Texas this winter. Unusually cold weather locked up windmills and almost completely took down the grid. Residents who relied on electricity for heat literally froze to death.
The people you have elected are not serving your best interests.
There simply is not enough electricity.
Now they take away a suitable alternative.
I see power rationing ahead.
Three hours a day with limits on usage.
The elected ones will have unlimited usage 24/7.
They win, get wealthier.
You get the shaft.
It’ll never end until enough of you say no more.
Does Gavin bin Lyin’ have a back-up generator at his fancy spread? Is it diesel powered?
Sure. Why not? PG&E has our back, with all its excess production. Ditto CCWD and our water supply. What’s another 10000 homes on the weapons station? Just so long the political county scum bags get their donations for reelection.
I have zero confidence in any politicians driving this and it just seems like lemmings rushing off in any direction without thought. Natural gas as stated above is the one reliable way to cook when the electricity goes down. What are they doing? This is about global warming, and China is building coal fired plants like crazy not just in China but in developing countries to gain influence. What is the relationship between the CO2 emissions savings from this California plan compared to even one of China’s coal plants? We are told even a few dollars going to certain countries to keep them from cutting down their forests will have more impact than these brilliant politician’s initiatives. Also, the technology is now being developed to literally pull CO2 directly out of the atmosphere, which would make all this green stuff irrelevant. What about that? Lemmings.
California can”t even keep the lights on and now the county wants to implement this. Ridiculous. They had better come up with a plan to reduce the cost of electricty and putting solar on everyones houses isnt the answer. Solar only works during the daylight hours and battery storage systems to get you thru the evening and night are not worth the cost at this time.
Rampant knee jerk follow the last idiot, . . . . STUPIDITY.
How does adding resistive load to our electrical grid make sense ? ? ?
While those pushing electrical resistance heating will tell you, it converts 100% of electricity into heat. . . . . BUT not mentioned, is efficiency of Power generation plants using coal, oil or natural gas is about 30% and in newest power generation plants, still only about 50% efficient at producing electricity.
Am I missing something ? ? ?
New modern low NOX natural gas furnaces are 95% efficient.
Wait just a dang minute, did natural gas industry not give enough to DEMs???
Looks like natural gas pipelines did, “The Nasty”.
Contributions from natural gas pipelines to members of congress,
In 2020 they gave DEMs $1,324,697 and to Republicans $3,338,046
In 2018 they gave DEMs $905,164 and to Republicans $2,673,514
In 2016 they gave DEMs $826,220 and to Republicans $3,137,863
In 2014 they gave DEMs $995,274 and to Republicans $2,945,634
In 2012 they gave DEMs $877,376 and to Republicans $2,625,858
In 2010 they gave DEMs $1,027,854 and to Republicans $1,341,401
This is going to be fun. California is having rolling blackouts, the state is asking the owners of electric cars to not recharge them unless absolutely necessary, and now Contra Costa is mandating all electric housing,
Where is the electricity going to come from? The governor has already waived the fossil fuel limits on the generation of electrical power imported from other states – so now the state is accepting coal generated power.
Can the NIMBYness of Californians known no limit? California doesn’t pollute – we export our pollution to other states and China because we are so ignorant that we don’t seem to understand that greenhouse gases emitted anywhere involve the entire planet. We are also too ignorant to understand that natural gas is a very low pollution fuel, and is less polluting than the manufacture of solar panels using coal generated electricity in China.
Once upon a time, people were ignorant of the need for redundancy. It’s common knowledge now that single source can be incapacitated, leading to catastrophe. Anyone who believes that eliminating natural gas and adding to an already overtaxed electrical power grid is truly an ignorant fool. And if this lunacy comes to pass, the intelligent will develop a work around, ie; stand alone natural gas tanks and home/business delivery.
Comments are closed.