HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/5/2023 Item 7a, Christie
Santa Lucia Sierra Club <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Sierra Club comment on 12/5/23 meeting agenda item 7.a
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond.
Re: 7.a Study session on existing building energy efficiency retrofit policy options.
Dear Mayor Stewart and City Council Members,
The Sierra Club Santa Lucia Chapter commends the City of SLO on its ongoing efforts to implement building electrification and
energy retrofit policies.
Transitioning to clean and healthy fossil fuel-free buildings plays a critical role in meeting our climate goals and protecting public
health. Paired with energy efficiency retrofits, including weatherization and electrical panel upgrades, building electrification can
reduce household energy burdens and make sure families can stay safe in extreme weather. Reducing energy waste can increase
reliability of the grid in the face of increasing extreme weather events.
Along with the federal government and the many states and municipalities that are enacting incentives to make these types of
improvements affordable for all income levels, the Sierra Club is working hard for an equitable transition to all-electric buildings.
Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice recently released a report that highlights the
climate, health, and environmental justice impacts of appliance pollution and lays out the additional ways government at the local,
state, and federal level can act to protect people and increase access to energy efficient, clean, safe homes. We are working to ensure
utilities and all levels of government prioritize support and accessibility for low-income households and renters to make energy
efficient home improvements.
For your reading pleasure, we recommend the new Sierra Club shopper’s guide which aims to help consumers easily identify home
improvement products that qualify for energy efficiency tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The guide compiles
information from Energy Star and the IRS into a user-friendly format that details what products are eligible and lays out steps to claim
the credit come tax season. Heat pumps, exterior doors and windows, solar panels, and other products that update a home's electrical
systems are some of the eligible items. The federal tax credits and rebates can also be coupled with state incentives to reduce energy
waste and pollution.
Much of this information is no doubt included in the City’s proposed policy options; otherwise, please feel free to borrow.
Thank you for your attention to this issue,
Andrew Christie, Director
Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club
1