Some developers are building new houses that run only on electricity.
No gas lines, period.
“That means electric water heating, space heating, cooking appliances, clothes drying, et cetera,” says Dan Bertoldi of Central Coast Community Energy, a clean energy provider in California.
He says going all-electric is important for the climate.
Newer heat pumps and other all-electric technologies are generally more efficient than those that burn gas. And they can be powered by solar or wind energy as more renewables are added to the grid.
“Because you’re using electricity instead of fossil fuels, and that electricity is generated from clean, renewable sources, you’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions from … your home,” Bertoldi says.
So his group provides financial incentives to encourage affordable housing developers to build new all-electric units.
Developers can receive $2,500 per unit, up to $240,000 per project.
He says when developers build new all-electric homes, it’s far less likely that those homes will ever run on fossil fuels.
“When you build a home that’s all-electric … this ensures long-term electrification because there is no going back to fossil fuels, essentially,” Bertoldi says.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media