Berkeley, California became the first American city to ban natural gas infrastructure in new buildings last week after PG&E, the second-largest U.S. utility and notably both a gas and electric utility, publicly supported the move. But Berkeley isn’t alone—it’s leading a national trend that will cut natural gas demand through building electrification .
“Building electrification” means swapping out fossil-fuel-powered appliances for electric appliances (or “fuel switching”) in a significant fraction of buildings. Several other California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, are considering building electrification ordinances, New Jersey’s draft Energy Master Plan would end natural gas use in buildings by 2030, and new Maine laws will reduce natural gas use in buildings.
