How the ‘electrify everything’ movement went mainstream

How the ‘electrify everything’ movement went mainstream
Author: chuck
URL: how-the-electrify-everything-movement-went-mainstream
“Building electrification,” once a subject embraced only by energy and climate nerds, is going mainstream.
In 2019, Berkeley, California passed the nation’s first ordinance [banning new buildings from hooking up to the natural gas system](https://www.berkeleyside.org/2019/07/17/natural-gas-pipes-now-banned-in-new-berkeley-buildings-with-some-exceptions).
A [report](https://buildingdecarb.org/resource/innovation-acceleration) published Wednesday by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to getting fossil fuels out of buildings, estimates that one in five Americans now reside in a place that encourages or requires landlords and developers to eschew gas.
Sales of electric heat pumps grew 15 percent last year, with shipments outpacing those of gas furnaces for the first time in at least 20 years, according to [data collected by the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute](https://www.ahrinet.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/December2022StatisticalRelease.pdf).
The Inflation Reduction Act, which contains [billions of dollars in tax credits and rebates](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/climate-bill-could-spur-market-transformation-in-home-electrification) to help people swap gas heaters, dryers, and stoves for electric appliances, is likely to accelerate the trend.
According to the coalition’s report, 98 municipalities and four states — California, Washington, Maryland, and Colorado — have adopted electrification policies.
The Building Decarbonization Coalition’s report outlines three things needed to ensure electrification succeeds.
Because going electric can incur high up-front costs, more funding must be directed to low income households to ensure the transition is equitable. Even climate-forward states still have policies and subsidies that favor gas, and should adopt reforms that align with their emissions targets. Lastly, the group argues for a nationwide phase-out of gas appliances, similar to the one California has adopted, to give the industry a clear timeline.