With all the interest in arresting the negative effects of climate change, it may not surprise California residents that government agencies and advocacy groups are attempting to institute new laws, rules and regulations that would affect new construction to make it more environmentally friendly. One of these initiatives involves transitioning new development projects from using natural gas to using all electricity. This would involve updating codes in the state’s energy efficiency standards.
The changes could come in the 2022 energy code updates. Doing so could help California meet its goal of lowering building emissions by the year 2030. It would also help meet the goal of improving the air and health quality in the state. While these are important goals, some may put more focus on the fact that it could mean cost savings from consumers to developers.
California’s largest utility and gas company, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, recently came forward supporting these efforts. In fact, PG&E says it will no longer look for new natural gas assets to invest in since they will most likely not perform well if changes are made requiring all new construction to be all-electric. This could signal that the changes are definitely coming, and developers may want to make sure they are prepared.
New development projects are having to conform to new environmentally friendly initiatives all the time. Keeping up with the changes is not always an easy task. In order to stay in compliance with the changes, it would most likely be a good idea to work with an experienced attorney who will keep up with the changes and advise developers on the best course of action.
