Nancy Hirsch: New code makes a difference for Seattle s buildings - Puget Sound Business Journal bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Seattle City Council unanimously approved Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s natural gas ban, with the approved amendments banning natural gas for space heating in commercial and apartment buildings taller than three stories;
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In the midst of 2020 election limbo, the Washington State Department of Commerce quietly released a draft of its Washington State 2021 Energy Strategy. And it’s clear that Washington is not on track to reach its 2030 commitment target or its deeper decarbonization emissions target of being carbon neutral by 2050 unless buildings are rapidly electrified.
The report indicates that economy-wide decarbonization with the least societal costs would require a 95 percent reduction in building sector emissions by 2050 and the energy code [being] accelerated to become zero energy, zero-carbon and all-electric no later than the 2027 code. While Washington is right about the importance of amending building codes to meet climate goals, the code should not wait until 2027 to go all-electric.