Interviewed on KFBK about requiring homes be all electric....

I was recently interviewed by KFBK reporter Kitty O'Neal about the electrification of housing stock. The Sacramento City Council today is considering an ordinance requiring future new home construction to be all electric -- that's means no gas appliances. At some point, it is also likely they will consider requirements to mandate existing homes convert to all electric utilities. Here is a link to the audio interview. A few key points we discussed:

• While SMUD is a very forward thinking local electric utility, our current electrical grid and power storage capacity cannot handle full electrification at this time.
• The movement to fully electrify homes is out alignment with consumer preferences! I have never had a client tell me they want an all electric kitchen, however most clients (unprompted) express a strong desire for gas cooking appliances.
• Retrofitting existing homes to swap out gas appliances to all electric appliances IS EXPENSIVE. And many homes do not even have electrical panels that can accommodate adding more circuits to accommodate new electric water heaters, furnaces, or cooking appliances.
• We can reduce residential carbon emissions in other ways -- by making homes themselves more energy efficient with weather-stripping, insulation, or by planting shade trees. 

She also interviewed several other local leaders regarding electrification, proposed implementation, and how it may affect other industries and market segments. You can listing to all the interviews here.