HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/1/2022 Item 7a, McDaniel
Delgado, Adriana
From:Travis McDaniel <tmcdaniel@gb-eng.com>
Sent:Monday, January
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Ted Tiffany
Subject:Public Comment for City Council meeting of Tuesday, February 01, 2022
Attachments:G&B Letter of Support for City of SLO's Adoption of All-electric New Buildings
(2022-01-31).pdf
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Dear San Luis Obispo City Council,
Please find my public comment attached. My comment is a letter of support for removing the natural gas compliance
pathway for new buildings.
Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your service.
Sincerely,
Travis McDaniel, PE, BCxP
Associate, Commissioning and Building Performance Consulting
c (805) 316-1421 w (209) 217-6498
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January 31, 2022
San Luis Obispo City Council
990 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Dear City Council:
This letter is in support of the City of San Luis Obispo updating the Clean Energy Choice Program for New
Buildings to require all newly constructed buildings to be all-electric and eliminate the mixed-fuel pathway.
Specifically, we encourage the adoption of Approach #1 Remove the natural gas compliance pathway
as described in the Council Agenda Report For Agenda of 2/1/2022 - Item 7a. We believe this is the best
Recovery, and Resolution 11159 (2020 Series), which includes the goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 with
the building sector goal of zero operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from new buildings.
Pacific Gas & Electric has already encouraged other cities to adopt all electric reach codes as they
understand the long-term goals of decarbonization and that putting new gas assets in the ground for new
construction is not cost effective. Since the City and County is on the end of the Southern California Gas
line connection, strategic electrification should start with San Luis Obispo if we are to transition off the
methane system. We encourage San Luis Obispo to remove any new construction allowances for natural gas
line connections.
Our firm has resolved to focus on decarbonizing the built environment for over three years (building on our
design philosophy of deep energy use reduction for over 25 years). Having designed and commissioned
over 25 all-electric buildings and seen them operated successfully, we can confidently support all-electric
design and construction as a standard for new buildings.
All-electric construction has been proven cost effective, while simultaneously providing the benefits of
reducing heating energy by at least 60% when compared to gas, improving indoor air quality, increasing
building safety by eliminating gas piping in buildings, increasing resiliency when combined with solar and
battery storage, and eliminating on site carbon emissions.
In addition to the reasoning presented above, I also support all-electric new construction as a homeowner
and member of the community in the City of San Luis Obispo. This is a straightforward and relatively small
step (compared to existing buildings, for example) in achieving our local goals for decarbonization of the
built environment. I want to see our City be a leader and am passionate about helping it achieve these goals.
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Clean Energy Choice Program for New Buildingsto require new construction to be all-
electric will hasten local familiarity with these types of buildings, which are forecasted to soon be required
by the State of California
action. Without the adoption of this policy, only the bravest and most progressive developers and design
teams will pursue building decarbonization.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Guttmann & Blaevoet
Travis McDaniel, PE, BCxP
Associate
Cosigned
Ted M. Tiffany, LEED AP BD+C
Principal, Director of Sustainability
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