Decarbonization
Advisory Group
Meeting Executive Summaries
• July 29th, 2021: Introductory Meeting
This meeting included a discussion of current sustainability efforts, an introduction to the concept of building electrification, and a group discussion about the cumulative benefits and potential negative impacts of building electrification from stakeholder perspectives. • September 2nd, 2021: Panel Discussion of Statewide Decarbonization Efforts In this meeting, the DAG heard from a panel of experts including Julia Kim from CivicWell, for- merly known as the Local Government Commission, Scott Schell from the American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment and Amy Rider with the Building Decarbonization Coalition
This meeting included a long-ranging discussion about local government efforts to introduce building electrification ordinances, expert counsel on the cumulative benefits of building electri- fication and group discussion about points of contention (e.g., impact on housing/construction costs, impact on the statewide grid)
• October 27th, 2021: Stakeholder Discussion with Building Industry Association In this meeting, Christopher Ochoa the Senior Counsel for Codes, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs for the California BIA presented to the group on the BIA’s efforts with the state legislature related to decarbonization and their neutral stance on building electrification in the adoption of the California Energy Commission’s update to the statewide Building Standards.
The Group discussed the construction costs associated with building electrification, the fact that all-electric homes are often more affordable than dual hook-ups and what potential statewide actions will occur by the California Energy Commission and the State Legislature. • December 1st, 2021 – Stakeholder Discussion with Southern California Gas Company The DAG heard from Mark Aguirre, Customer Programs Manager for SoCalGas Co. about the gas company’s low-income assistance programs and energy savings assistance programs.
The Group discussed the merits of SoCal Gas’s offerings, renewable natural gas conversion and strategies for decarbonizing existing building stock.
Decarbonization
Advisory Group
Meeting Executive Summaries
• January 20th, 2022: Where We Are and Where We Are Headed In the first meeting of the new year, the DAG discussed an overview of what we had been learned through previous meetings and was provided a summary of key points and points of contention.
The group discussed what exemptions and potential waiver process would look like with an all-electric mandate, public perception and consumer preference for romance appliances and reviewed a schedule for the conclusion of the DAG.
• March 17, 2022: Perspectives from Southern California Edison and ARUP Consulting In this meeting, the group heard from Joshua Torres, senior policy advisor with Southern California Edison on the utility’s Mind the Gap Initiative which includes policy recommendations to accelerate California’s GHG reductions, including building electrification.
Additionally, the group heard from the City of Los Angeles’ consultant for the LA Green New Deal, ARUP. Arup provided a detailed presentation on their work with other municipalities and ignited a policy conversation about retrofitting strategies.
• May 11th, 2022: Review of Draft Policy Framework
In the final meeting of the DAG, the group heard from the Office of Councilmember Fierro on the policy recommendations that the Chair would be bringing forward back to the City Council Committee. The Group discussed and refined the exemptions and waiver process.